Comparison

NASA vs Planetaria

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • NASA+ video streaming
  • 21,000+ NASA images
  • Latest NASA news
  • Mission updates
  • Podcasts
  • ISS tracking and Sky View
  • Augmented reality experiences
Features
Read full description

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!

About

Planetaria

Explore a dynamic 3D model of the Solar System, synchronizing with real-time data to show celestial bodies in orbit. Discover planets, dwarf planets, and moons with detailed surface models. Manipulate time to view past and future solar system configurations.

Highlights
  • Interactive 3D Solar System model
  • Real-time celestial body positions
  • Detailed 3D surface models
  • Explore planets, dwarf planets, and moons
  • Time manipulation (past/future)
  • AR integration
Features
Read full description

Explore the celestial worlds of the Solar System with Planetaria, an interactive 3D simulator experience for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro. This dynamic scale model of the Solar System synchronizes with real-time data to display the live positions of celestial bodies in their orbits, along with beautiful and detailed 3D models of their surfaces. On your journey through outer space, you can visit the Sun, the 8 planets, 5 dwarf planets, and over 20 major moons. Entire worlds await your discovery, each with their own individual features and environments. You can also fast-forward or rewind time, and see what the Solar System looks like at any time in the past or future. Photos and 3D models provided by NASA/JPL.

Screenshots

NASA4 screens
Planetaria4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: NASA at Free against Planetaria's $4.99. NASA also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (64K vs 9). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

NASA is free to download; Planetaria costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NASA holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NASA has 64K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of NASA's written reviews are positive against 50% of Planetaria's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NASA ships an update every 2 weeks, Planetaria every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
NASA versus Planetaria: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNASAPlanetaria
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.8 (64K ratings) — better4.7 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews69.9% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings64K — better9
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, Vision Pro
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB510 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNASAJoseph Rupertus

Customer experience

NASA

All ratings63,707 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews509 reviews
Positive69.9%
Neutral6.7%
Negative23.4%

Planetaria

All ratings9 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

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

Planetaria

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

NASA

No in-app purchases

None

Planetaria

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NASA free?
NASA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Planetaria free?
Planetaria costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NASA or Planetaria?
NASA is rated higher. NASA averages 4.8 out of 5 from 64K ratings, while Planetaria averages 4.7 from 9 ratings.
Do NASA or Planetaria have ads?
Neither NASA nor Planetaria shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NASA or Planetaria?
NASA ships an update every 2 weeks, and Planetaria every 5 months. Most recently, NASA was updated on September 25, 2026 and Planetaria on September 2, 2026.

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