Comparison

Exoplanet vs First Light

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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.

About

First Light

Explore the universe's earliest light with real cosmic microwave background data. Pan across the oldest light in the universe, switch between satellites, and observe shifts in frequency bands. This educational app brings real science and cosmic history to your mobile device.

Highlights
  • Explore cosmic microwave background data
  • Immersive sky exploration via phone movement
  • Switch between COBE, WMAP, and Planck satellites
  • Adjust frequency bands to see universe shifts
  • Utilizes real scientific data
Features
Read full description

Look up. What you're seeing isn't the night sky. It's the afterglow of the Big Bang, captured by three of the most important space missions ever launched. First Light turns real cosmic microwave background data from COBE, WMAP, and Planck into an immersive sky you can explore by simply moving your phone. Pan across the oldest light in the universe. Switch between satellites. Dial through frequency bands and watch the universe shift. This is real data. Real science. And it fits in your pocket.

Screenshots

Exoplanet4 screens
First Light4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: First Light at none against Exoplanet's 7. First Light also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 91%). Exoplanet's advantage is ratings volume (978 vs 3) and device support (4 vs 1). On price, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

First Light holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Exoplanet has 978 ratings behind it against 3, 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 100% of First Light's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Exoplanet ships an update every 2 weeks, First Light every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Exoplanet versus First Light: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExoplanetFirst Light
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (978 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings978 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size105 MB75 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHanno ReinThomas Sola

Customer experience

Exoplanet

All ratings956 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral2.0%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews485 reviews
Positive90.9%
Neutral3.3%
Negative5.8%

First Light

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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 more
  • 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

First Light

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Exoplanet

One-time7
  • Galaxy Clusters and CMB$0.99
  • Asteroids$0.99
  • Gaia Stars$0.99
Show 4 more
  • S-Stars$0.99
  • Catalogues$0.99
  • Developer Appreciation Coffee$1.99
  • Kepler Add-on$2.99
None

First Light

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Exoplanet free?
Exoplanet is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is First Light free?
First Light is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Exoplanet or First Light?
First Light is rated higher. Exoplanet averages 4.7 out of 5 from 978 ratings, while First Light averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Exoplanet or First Light have ads?
Neither Exoplanet nor First Light shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Exoplanet or First Light?
Exoplanet ships an update every 2 weeks, and First Light every 3 weeks. Most recently, Exoplanet was updated on October 31, 2026 and First Light on October 31, 2026.

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