# Exoplanet vs EarthViewer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: EarthViewer at none against Exoplanet's 7. EarthViewer also leads on iOS requirement (9.3 vs 13.0). Exoplanet's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Exoplanet sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. EarthViewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Exoplanet holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Exoplanet has 956 ratings behind it against 101, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Exoplanet's written reviews are positive against 83% of EarthViewer's.

Exoplanet ships an update every 2 weeks, EarthViewer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Exoplanet | EarthViewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (956 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exoplanet/id327702034/reviews)** | [4.4 (101 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earthviewer/id590208430/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **956** | 101 |
| Positive reviews | **90.9% of reviews** | 83.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 105 MB | 108 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **9.3** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hanno Rein](https://appshunter.io/developer/325840976) | [Howard Hughes Medical Institute](https://appshunter.io/developer/411540290) |

## 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


### EarthViewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earthviewer/id590208430)

Explore Earth's 4.5 billion-year history with this interactive time machine. See how continents, oceans, and climate have changed over eons, track landmarks and fossils, and visualize scientific data like temperature and biodiversity. Discover the dynamic evolution of our planet.

**Highlights:** Continental reconstructions over billions of years, Sea level and temperature maps, Track landmark and fossil movements, Visualize atmospheric composition and biodiversity, Explore geological eons, eras, and periods, Automated play modes and animations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌍 Comprehensive geological history visualization from 4.6 billion years ago to present
- 📚 Excellent educational resource for teachers and students
- 🎨 Beautiful and intuitive interface design
- 🆓 Free app with extensive features and data
- 🔄 Smooth continental drift animation and timeline controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Cannot exit app without force-closing or restarting device
- 🐛 App freezes when switching between map projections
- 📱 Not optimized for newer iOS versions
- 🌏 Australia appears incorrectly in ancient Earth viewer
- 🔲 Grid coordinates (lat/lon) not displaying properly

**Reported bugs**

- App cannot be closed normally - requires force quit or device restart
- App freezes when switching from flat map to globe view
- Australia appears in incorrect locations in ancient Earth viewer
- Grid coordinates (latitude/longitude) not displaying
- Globe transparency and image distortion on iPad

**Requested features**

- Add Pangea Proxima/Pangea Ultima supercontinent visualization
- Add Kenorland supercontinent (2500 Mya)
- Include future Earth continental drift predictions (0-250 million years)
- Add Pleistocene ice age details with smaller time increments
- Include ground-level view of Earth with animals and landscapes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Exoplanet free?

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

### Is EarthViewer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Exoplanet or EarthViewer?

Exoplanet is rated higher. Exoplanet averages 4.7 out of 5 from 956 ratings, while EarthViewer averages 4.4 from 101 ratings.

### Do Exoplanet or EarthViewer have ads?

Neither Exoplanet nor EarthViewer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Exoplanet or EarthViewer?

Exoplanet ships an update every 2 weeks, and EarthViewer every 2 months. Most recently, Exoplanet was updated on October 17, 2026 and EarthViewer on October 15, 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.*