# Exoplanet vs Universe in a Nutshell

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Exoplanet | Universe in a Nutshell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (978 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exoplanet/id327702034/reviews) | **[4.9 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universe-in-a-nutshell/id1526364758/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 978 | **2.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.9% of reviews** | 89.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#88** |
| Size | 105 MB | 320 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hanno Rein](https://appshunter.io/developer/325840976) | [in a nutshell - kurzgesagt GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526364760) |

## What reviewers say

### Exoplanet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exoplanet/id327702034)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Galaxy Clusters and CMB | $0.99 | one-time |
| Asteroids | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gaia Stars | $0.99 | one-time |
| S-Stars | $0.99 | one-time |
| Catalogues | $0.99 | one-time |
| Developer Appreciation Coffee | $1.99 | one-time |
| Kepler Add-on | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app
- 👍 Insanely entertaining
- 👍 Amazing graphics and interactive diorama
- 👍 Detailed explanation of planets
- 👍 Awesome app for astronomy and physics lovers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- Upgrade purchase issues with Galaxy Clusters and CMB add-on
- Kepler objects of interest disappearing when switching databases

**Requested features**

- 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


### Universe in a Nutshell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universe-in-a-nutshell/id1526364758)

**Currently charting:** #88 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fascinating and educational
- 🎨 Beautiful artwork and animations
- 🎶 Relaxing background music
- 📚 Comprehensive information on a wide range of topics
- 🔍 Intuitive and easy to navigate

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch for some users
- Overlapping hit boxes make it difficult to select certain objects

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Exoplanet free?

Exoplanet is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Universe in a Nutshell free?

Universe in a Nutshell costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Exoplanet or Universe in a Nutshell?

Universe in a Nutshell is rated higher. Exoplanet averages 4.7 out of 5 from 978 ratings, while Universe in a Nutshell averages 4.9 from 2.5K ratings.

### Do Exoplanet or Universe in a Nutshell have ads?

Neither Exoplanet nor Universe in a Nutshell shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Exoplanet or Universe in a Nutshell?

Exoplanet ships an update every 2 weeks, and Universe in a Nutshell every 4 days. Most recently, Exoplanet was updated on October 31, 2026 and Universe in a Nutshell on November 7, 2026.

---

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