Exoplanet vs Universe in a Nutshell
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Exoplanet
Explore a vast, interactive database of discovered exoplanets and their host stars. Visualize their physical properties, locations in the night sky, and orbital paths. Discover the observable universe from Earth to the cosmic microwave background with stunning 3D models and augmented reality features.
- Interactive visualizations and animations
- Daily updated exoplanet and host star properties
- 3D Milky Way model with exoplanet locations
- Augmented reality sky map
- Exoplanet orbit and habitable zone visualizations
- Data from multiple exoplanet catalogs
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Exoplanets are planets orbiting stars beyond our own solar system. This app allows you to explore all discovered exoplanets, their measured physical properties, their location in the night sky, and their host stars. An interactive model shows you the entire observable universe, all the way from the surface of the Earth to the cosmic microwave background. This app has been developed by a professional astronomer. Main features: * Interactive visualizations and animations. * Physical properties of all detected exoplanets and their host stars, updated on a daily basis. * Stunning 3D model of our Milky Way showing the location of all known exoplanets. You can zoom into any planetary system, explore how the night sky and the constellations look from the surface of other planets, or zoom out and see other local galaxies and galaxy clusters as well as the cosmic microwave background. * Visualizations of exoplanet orbits and the habitable zone. * Choose between the Open Exoplanet Catalogue, the NASA Exoplanet Archive, and the Extrasolar Planet Encyclopedia (exoplanet.eu). * Push notifications are sent out whenever a new planet is discovered. * Augmented reality sky map: point the phone towards the sky to find an exoplanet! * Interactive multi-touch correlation plots. * Solar System planets, major moons, and asteroids are included. * Explore S-Stars orbiting the black hole at the Galactic Center of our Milky Way * Background information about exoplanets and detection methods. * Full support of planets in binary, triple, quadruple systems and orphan planets. * Real-time ray tracing on the GPU.
Universe in a Nutshell
Explore the vastness of the universe, from subatomic particles to distant galaxies, through an interactive, swipe-based journey. Understand true scale by comparing objects and discover fascinating facts about over 250 animated illustrations. Immerse yourself in the cosmos with original music.
- Interactive scale exploration
- Seamless zooming from 10^-35m to 10^26m
- Fun facts about objects
- Explanations for each object
- Over 250 animated illustrations
- Original music soundtrack
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The range of size in the universe, from the tiniest particles to the epic galaxies - we take you on a journey of size that lets you explore it all with a single swipe. How big is a planet, compared to a human? And how small is an atom really? You can’t fully wrap your head around the scope of things by just reading about them – so this app lets you experience them in comparison to get a feeling for their true scale. By simply swiping you can zoom in and out all the way from the world of fundamental particles up to the largest stars at the edge of the observable universe. Seamless zooming between the scales of 10^-35 meters to 10^26 meters (no math required) Amazing fun facts for various scale levels, like the smallest bacterium and the largest black hole Tap any object for an explanation of what it is and how it works Beautifully animated illustration of more than 250 objects Original Kurzgesagt music to complement your experience
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Exoplanet at Free against Universe in a Nutshell's $2.99. Universe in a Nutshell's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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
Exoplanet is free to download; Universe in a Nutshell costs $2.99 up front. Exoplanet sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Universe in a Nutshell asks for nothing beyond the download.
Universe in a Nutshell holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 978 and 2.5K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 91% of Exoplanet's written reviews are positive against 89% of Universe in a Nutshell's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Exoplanet ships an update every 2 weeks, Universe in a Nutshell every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Exoplanet | Universe in a Nutshell |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.7 (978 ratings) | 4.9 (2.5K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews — better | 89.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 978 | 2.5K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #55 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 105 MB | 320 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hanno Rein | in a nutshell - kurzgesagt GmbH |
Customer experience
Exoplanet
Universe in a Nutshell
User reviews
Exoplanet
From 978 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great app
- 👍 Insanely entertaining
- 👍 Amazing graphics and interactive diorama
- 👍 Detailed explanation of planets
- 👍 Awesome app for astronomy and physics lovers
Room to improve
- 🐛 Some exoplanets not showing up in search
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior when switching between databases
- 🔒 Paid upgrades required to access more features
- 🐛 Upgrade purchase issues with Galaxy Clusters and CMB add-on
- 🐛 Exoplanets represented as generic white balls
Universe in a Nutshell
From 2.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤩 Fascinating and educational
- 🎨 Beautiful artwork and animations
- 🎶 Relaxing background music
- 📚 Comprehensive information on a wide range of topics
- 🔍 Intuitive and easy to navigate
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes on some devices, especially older iPhones
- 🔍 Difficulty comparing sizes of objects due to positioning
- 🕹️ Laggy animations and transitions on some devices
- 🌐 Lack of offline functionality
Bugs and requests
Exoplanet
Reported bugs
2 issues- Upgrade purchase issues with Galaxy Clusters and CMB add-on
- Kepler objects of interest disappearing when switching databases
Requested features
9 requests- Add more detailed textures and visuals for exoplanets
- Ability to view multiple databases simultaneously
- Option to see planet surfaces and atmospheres
- Inclusion of dwarf planets in our solar system
- Ability to zoom in on and explore other galaxies
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Addition of black holes, pulsars, and other celestial objects
- Inclusion of satellite and spacecraft orbits
- Narration or audio commentary for key discoveries
- Ability to view the universe from the surface of planets
Universe in a Nutshell
Reported bugs
2 issues- Crashes on launch for some users
- Overlapping hit boxes make it difficult to select certain objects
Requested features
6 requests- Add more objects to explore (e.g. Uranus, Eris, more moons, etc.)
- Implement a search function to quickly find specific objects
- Add the ability to compare multiple objects side-by-side
- Include more in-depth scientific information and facts
- Provide an option to have the descriptions read aloud
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Improve the smoothness of zooming and panning
In-app purchases
Exoplanet
- Galaxy Clusters and CMB$0.99
- Asteroids$0.99
- Gaia Stars$0.99
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- S-Stars$0.99
- Catalogues$0.99
- Developer Appreciation Coffee$1.99
- Kepler Add-on$2.99
Universe in a Nutshell
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Exoplanet free?
Is Universe in a Nutshell free?
Which has better reviews, Exoplanet or Universe in a Nutshell?
Do Exoplanet or Universe in a Nutshell have ads?
Which is updated more often, Exoplanet or Universe in a Nutshell?
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