# NASA vs CosmoCalc

NASA and CosmoCalc both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of CosmoCalc's written reviews are positive against 70% of NASA's. CosmoCalc also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). NASA's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (64K vs 4). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

CosmoCalc holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NASA has 64K ratings behind it against 4, 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 100% of CosmoCalc's.

NASA ships an update every 2 weeks, CosmoCalc every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NASA | CosmoCalc |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (64K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nasa/id334325516/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cosmocalc/id334569654/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **64K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 69.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 60 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/355542146) | [Eli Rykoff](https://appshunter.io/developer/318275933) |

## 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


### CosmoCalc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cosmocalc/id334569654)

This app calculates astronomical distances and scales based on user-selected cosmological parameters. It offers a simple interface for astronomers, students, and enthusiasts to quickly determine various cosmic measurements.

**Highlights:** Select cosmological parameters (H0, Ωm, ΩΛ), Choose from common reference cosmologies, Calculate luminosity distance, Determine angular diameter distance, Calculate lookback time, Find age of the Universe, Compute comoving volume and critical density

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NASA free?

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

### Is CosmoCalc free?

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

### Which has better reviews, NASA or CosmoCalc?

CosmoCalc is rated higher. NASA averages 4.8 out of 5 from 64K ratings, while CosmoCalc averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do NASA or CosmoCalc have ads?

Neither NASA nor CosmoCalc shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NASA or CosmoCalc?

NASA ships an update every 2 weeks, and CosmoCalc every 6 months. Most recently, NASA was updated on October 20, 2026 and CosmoCalc on October 6, 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.*