Mars Globe vs xSky
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mars Globe
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.
- High-resolution satellite map
- Laser altimeter data
- Advanced topographic lighting
- Annotated surface features
- Introduction and guided tour
- Free exploration
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Take a tour of the mysterious Red Planet. This virtual globe combines a high-resolution satellite map with laser altimeter data and advanced topographic lighting to present the planet Mars as it appears from above. An Introduction and Guided Tour present some of Mars' most intriguing features. You can leave the guided tour and explore Mars as you like; over 1500 surface features have been annotated with information and links. Mars Globe is a must-have app for anyone interested in our solar system.
xSky
Explore the cosmos with a virtual telescope. Point your device at the sky to identify celestial bodies. Zoom in for detailed views and use a search function to locate specific objects.
- Virtual telescope functionality
- Identify Sun, Moon, Planets, Stars, Galaxies
- Zoom up to a million times
- Screen lock to stop motion
- Object search arrow
- Soft music and sound effects
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xSky is a simple to use virtual telescope app. Just look at the sky through your device. Lock the screen and zoom in to explore in more detail. Features: • Sun, Moon, Planets, Galilean Moons, Stars, Constellations and Galaxies. • Pinch the screen to zoom up to a million times. • Use lock button to stop motions. • Search arrow will help to locate any object in the sky. • Soft music and sound effects.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Mars Globe at 4.7 against xSky's 4.2. Mars Globe also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 80%) and ratings volume (337 vs 75). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Mars Globe holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 337 and 75 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Mars Globe's written reviews are positive against 80% of xSky's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mars Globe | xSky |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (337 ratings) — better | 4.2 (75 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.7% of reviews — better | 79.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 337 — better | 75 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 55 MB | 60 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Midnight Martian | Oleg Sur |
Customer experience
Mars Globe
xSky
User reviews
Mars Globe
From 337 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth and fast
- 📚 Detailed and informative
- 🌍 Realistic 3D globe
- 🔍 Ability to explore and zoom
- 🎨 Adjustable lighting and visuals
Room to improve
- 🔍 Limited zoom capability
- 🕰️ Outdated information (missing recent missions)
- 🗺️ Distortion when panning/rotating globe
- 🖼️ Could use higher resolution imagery
xSky
From 75 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🔭 Realistic space simulation
- ✨ Beautiful visuals and music
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 💡 Great for learning astronomy
- 💯 Highly accurate object identification
Room to improve
- 🐛 App crashing issues
- 🧭 Location services not working
- 🔄 Inconsistent with reality (out of sync)
- 📱 Not optimized for all devices (e.g., iPhone 12)
- 🎛️ Hard to control
Bugs and requests
Mars Globe
Reported bugs
2 issues- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Compatibility issues on older devices
Requested features
4 requests- 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
xSky
Reported bugs
9 issues- App keeps crashing
- Location services not working/picking a country
- App closes immediately upon opening
- App is glitchy and moves by itself
- Search button not working in horizontal position
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- App not working on iPhone 12
- App out of sync with reality
- Sun located incorrectly at noon
- Mercury in retrograde causing app to not open
Requested features
9 requests- Camera feature for high-quality photos
- Ability to turn down exposure for photos
- Facts read aloud about celestial objects
- Traditional constellation names (e.g., Virgo, Taurus)
- Show International Space Station or other satellites
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- Option to turn off constellation lines
- Improve search button size and usability
- Fix search button in horizontal mode
- More mythological graphics and information about stars
In-app purchases
Mars Globe
No in-app purchases
xSky
No in-app purchases
