# Mars Globe vs Pocket Planets

The clearest difference is ads: Mars Globe at none against Pocket Planets's shown. Mars Globe also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 67%) and ratings volume (337 vs 22). Pocket Planets's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Mars Globe against 4.6 for Pocket Planets. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mars Globe has 337 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Mars Globe's written reviews are positive against 67% of Pocket Planets's.

Mars Globe ships an update every 3 months, Pocket Planets every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mars Globe | Pocket Planets |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (337 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-globe/id324185998/reviews)** | [4.6 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-planets/id1496547610/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **337** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | **90.7% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 55 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Midnight Martian](https://appshunter.io/developer/284473660) | [Ad Lunam Kereskedelmi es Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag](https://appshunter.io/developer/1496547609) |

## What reviewers say

### Mars Globe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-globe/id324185998)

Explore the Red Planet with a detailed virtual globe. This app features high-resolution satellite maps, altimeter data, and advanced topographic lighting to showcase Mars' surface. Discover over 1500 annotated features and enjoy an introductory guided tour.

**Highlights:** High-resolution satellite map, Laser altimeter data, Advanced topographic lighting, Annotated surface features, Introduction and guided tour, Free exploration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and fast
- 📚 Detailed and informative
- 🌍 Realistic 3D globe
- 🔍 Ability to explore and zoom
- 🎨 Adjustable lighting and visuals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Limited zoom capability
- 🕰️ Outdated information (missing recent missions)
- 🗺️ Distortion when panning/rotating globe
- 🖼️ Could use higher resolution imagery

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add support for other planets and moons
- Integrate real-time data from active Mars missions
- Implement a search function to quickly find locations
- Add an option to view Mars from an Earth-based perspective


### Pocket Planets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-planets/id1496547610)

Explore our solar system with detailed information on planets, moons, and astronauts. Track who is currently in space and receive notifications for new launches. Access NASA images and compare celestial body characteristics.

**Highlights:** Detailed planet and moon data, Astronaut information and missions, Real-time space occupancy, Launch notifications, NASA image gallery, Celestial body comparisons

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mars Globe free?

Mars Globe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pocket Planets free?

Pocket Planets is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mars Globe or Pocket Planets?

Mars Globe is rated higher. Mars Globe averages 4.7 out of 5 from 337 ratings, while Pocket Planets averages 4.6 from 22 ratings.

### Do Mars Globe or Pocket Planets have ads?

Pocket Planets shows ads; Mars Globe does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mars Globe or Pocket Planets?

Mars Globe ships an update every 3 months, and Pocket Planets every 3 weeks. Most recently, Mars Globe was updated on September 22, 2026 and Pocket Planets on September 8, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*