NASA vs Classic Sky Map 2
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NASA
Explore the universe with access to live and on-demand NASA+ videos, a vast collection of stunning images, and the latest mission news. Discover interactive augmented reality experiences and track the International Space Station's path.
- NASA+ video streaming
- 21,000+ NASA images
- Latest NASA news
- Mission updates
- Podcasts
- ISS tracking and Sky View
- Augmented reality experiences
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The redesigned NASA App unlocks access to the new NASA+ video streaming service, plus all the latest NASA images, news, mission information, podcasts, and interactive augmented reality experiences to explore -- putting the universe at your fingertips! With the NASA App, you'll be able to: • Explore with unlimited access to NASA+, featuring all of NASA's official live coverage and original on-demand video series. No subscription required. • Easily view over 21,000 of the latest NASA images • Rate images and explore all of the highest rated ones • Read all the latest NASA news and feature articles • Get the latest updates on Artemis, the James Webb Space Telescope, and other exciting NASA missions. • Listen to our podcasts featuring astronauts and experts who take you on a tour of the galaxy without ever leaving Earth. • Set an alert for when the International Space Station will fly over your location and use the Sky View feature to help you locate the station during the visible pass • Experience our rovers and rockets up close and personal with augmented reality. • And so much more! Download the updated NASA App now!
Classic Sky Map 2
Explore the cosmos with an intuitive and beautiful sky map. Easily identify stars, planets, and constellations by simply pointing your device at the sky. Track celestial events and understand astronomical movements with time-lapse features.
- Live sky tracking
- Interactive earth map
- Time-lapse sky simulation
- Beautiful constellation art
- Celestial object search
- Night vision mode
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Ever wonder why so many astronomy apps are so hard to use? We do. So we made Classic Sky Map simple and intuitive enough for anyone to enjoy. The user interface is beautiful and straightforward, the controls are easy to use and most settings are just a tap or two away. Classic Sky Map shows you thousands of the brightest stars, the Moon, planets, constellations, meteor showers and more. And it's painless. Free Features: - Live Tracking. Simply point your device toward the stars and the sky map aligns itself automatically, showing you the portion of the sky at which you are looking. If your device has a compass, Classic Sky Map uses it automatically. If not, you can tell Classic Sky Map where the North is, and it aligns the sky map accordingly. - Live Earth Map. Quickly jump from one city to another by tapping on a map that shows the Earth's day and night boundary in real-time. If you allow it, Classic Sky Map can detect your current location automatically. You can also create custom viewing locations in seconds. - Fast Forward and Rewind. Accelerate or reverse time to understand how stars and planets appear to move in the sky over a longer period of time. - Beautiful Constellation Images. We put a tremendous amount of work into creating beautiful constellation images inspired by antique engravings and aligning them precisely with the stars. - Sharing. Share snapshots of the sky map with your friends at the tap of a button. - Quick Help. Should you have any questions while using Classic Sky Map, a concise, illustrated user guide will help answer them quickly. Full Version Features (In-App Purchase): - Interactive Search. Simply type in a search field, pick an object from a list of matches, then point your device toward the sky. An arrow appears and guides you until you are pointing your device toward the object you selected. If the object is not yet visible in the sky, its next rise time is displayed. - Sky Events. Classic Sky Map shows a list of current sky events such as meteor showers, eclipses and more and helps you quickly locate them in the sky. - Night Vision. Classic Sky Map's night vision mode helps minimize loss of dark adaptation. And we went the extra mile to make it look great in cyan, orange or red. - Extra Information. Tooltips and an information panel show details about stars, planets, the Moon, meteor showers and more. - Personalization Options. Personalize your sky map by turning various guides and display options on or off. Have fun!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NASA at none against Classic Sky Map 2's 1. NASA also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 16 months) and ratings volume (64K vs 8.9K). On price, rating, review sentiment 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
Both are free to download. Classic Sky Map 2 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NASA asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for NASA against 4.7 for Classic Sky Map 2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NASA has 64K ratings behind it against 8.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of NASA's written reviews are positive against 76% of Classic Sky Map 2's.
NASA ships an update every 2 weeks, Classic Sky Map 2 every 16 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NASA | Classic Sky Map 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (64K ratings) — better | 4.7 (8.9K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 69.9% of reviews | 75.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 64K — better | 8.9K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 16 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 69 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | NASA | X04 Studios Inc. |
Customer experience
NASA
Classic Sky Map 2
User reviews
NASA
From 64K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast loading
- 👍 Informative and educational
- 🌟 Amazing images and videos
- 💻 Great for learning about space
- 🔭 Comprehensive space information
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find content
- 📺 Missing live streaming features
- 🔄 Outdated user interface
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
Classic Sky Map 2
From 8.9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Straightforward and not cluttered with ads
- 🌟 Excellent for stargazing and learning about the night sky
- 🌍 Helpful ground references for locating celestial objects
- 🎓 Great educational tool for young astronomers
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional calibration and alignment issues
- 🔍 Limited information on stars beyond just names
- 🌌 Can't see below the horizon
- 🗺️ Clumsy and unintuitive navigation at times
- 🔍 Small viewing area that makes it hard to see all the stars
Bugs and requests
NASA
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes on launch for some devices
- Inability to close/exit image viewer
- Notifications not working as expected
- Incompatibility issues with newer iOS versions
Requested features
5 requests- Add live streaming of NASA TV
- Improve navigation and search
- Implement dark mode option
- Bring back old features (e.g. APOD widget, ISS sightings)
- Enhance 3D models and AR capabilities
Classic Sky Map 2
Reported bugs
3 issues- Compass bearing is inaccurate
- Active tracking no longer works
- App becomes unusable after certain updates
Requested features
4 requests- Add information on comets, meteor showers, and other space events
- Provide an option to only show visible stars
- Improve search functionality to find planets, moons, and other objects not currently in the sky
- Offer a live tracking mode that updates in real-time
In-app purchases
NASA
No in-app purchases
Classic Sky Map 2
- Full Version$2.99
Questions
Is NASA free?
Is Classic Sky Map 2 free?
Which has better reviews, NASA or Classic Sky Map 2?
Do NASA or Classic Sky Map 2 have ads?
Which is updated more often, NASA or Classic Sky Map 2?
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