# NASA vs Classic Sky Map 2

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | NASA | Classic Sky Map 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (64K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nasa/id334325516/reviews)** | [4.7 (8.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/classic-sky-map-2/id1137455038/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **64K** | 8.9K |
| Positive reviews | 69.9% of reviews | **75.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 16 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 60 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/355542146) | [X04 Studios Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/510671181) |

## What reviewers say

### NASA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nasa/id334325516)

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.

**Highlights:** NASA+ video streaming, 21,000+ NASA images, Latest NASA news, Mission updates, Podcasts, ISS tracking and Sky View, Augmented reality experiences

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast loading
- 👍 Informative and educational
- 🌟 Amazing images and videos
- 💻 Great for learning about space
- 🔭 Comprehensive space information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find content
- 📺 Missing live streaming features
- 🔄 Outdated user interface
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/classic-sky-map-2/id1137455038)

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.

**Highlights:** Live sky tracking, Interactive earth map, Time-lapse sky simulation, Beautiful constellation art, Celestial object search, Night vision mode

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- Compass bearing is inaccurate
- Active tracking no longer works
- App becomes unusable after certain updates

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NASA free?

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

### Is Classic Sky Map 2 free?

Classic Sky Map 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, NASA or Classic Sky Map 2?

NASA is rated higher. NASA averages 4.8 out of 5 from 64K ratings, while Classic Sky Map 2 averages 4.7 from 8.9K ratings.

### Do NASA or Classic Sky Map 2 have ads?

Neither NASA nor Classic Sky Map 2 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NASA or Classic Sky Map 2?

NASA ships an update every 2 weeks, and Classic Sky Map 2 every 16 months. Most recently, NASA was updated on September 25, 2026 and Classic Sky Map 2 on September 23, 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.*