Comparison

NASA vs Distant Suns 5

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

Distant Suns 5

Explore the cosmos with a realistic and user-friendly astronomy app. Discover constellations, planets, and celestial events with detailed information and stunning visuals. Perfect for both casual stargazers and serious astronomers.

Highlights
  • Realistic night sky display
  • View from Earth or solar system
  • Over 18 million stars
  • Integrated NASA space events
  • Stories behind constellations
  • Night vision color mode
  • Hubble Space Telescope images
Features
Read full description

Distant Suns: The night sky, reimagined. 2013 finalist in the Family category of TabTimes' best tablet app contest; "I am putting together some mobile astronomy apps for our local "Sky's the Limit" Observatory in Twentynine Palms, CA. I have been searching for something as good as, or better than, Distant Suns. Short answer: I have not found it yet. ...nothing portrays the night sky as well as Distant Suns. Distant Suns has been your personal guide to the cosmos since 1985. First on the desktop, now right in your hands. While others play games, you can travel to the stars. Award-winning Distant Suns has the reputation of both having one of the most realistic displays of the night sky, while being one of the easiest to use astronomy apps for casual sky watchers as well as serious astronomers. •Named in the "100 Essential Apps" by iLounge •Featured on NPR's MarketPlace Features include: •No Internet required. Just a sense of wonder. •View from the Earth or out in the solar system •Simply aim and gaze. •Over 18 million pinpoint stars scintillating like diamond dust in the palm of your hand (18 mil? Yup.) •Integrated with NASA's Night Sky Network space events in your area (US only at present) •What's Up? Gives a quick one snapshot overview of the evening's sky •Realistic ghostly band of the Milky Way •Stories behind each constellation •Viewpoint Lock keeps any object centered •Current weather patterns on the earth, updated daily •Change the look of the stars •Galaxies, nebula and star clusters •Hubble Space Telescope images •All 8 planets (or 9 for you purists) •GPS aware •Special color mode preserves your night vision. •Touch the sky to reveal hidden data for each object •Planetary data and information First Light is a proud member of Moms with Apps, a collaborative group of family-friendly developers with family-friendly apps. Twitter: @distantsuns Support: www.distantsuns.com

Screenshots

NASA4 screens
Distant Suns 54 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: NASA at Free against Distant Suns 5's $2.99. NASA also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On review sentiment, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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; Distant Suns 5 costs $2.99 up front. Distant Suns 5 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NASA asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NASA holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NASA has 64K ratings behind it against 97, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of NASA's written reviews are positive against 77% of Distant Suns 5's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NASA ships an update every 2 weeks, Distant Suns 5 every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
NASA versus Distant Suns 5: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNASADistant Suns 5
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.8 (64K ratings) — better4.3 (97 ratings)
Positive reviews69.9% of reviews76.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings64K — better97
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB815 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNASAMike Smithwick

Customer experience

NASA

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

Distant Suns 5

All ratings97 ratings
Positive79.4%
Neutral4.1%
Negative16.5%
Written reviews337 reviews
Positive76.9%
Neutral5.0%
Negative18.1%

User reviews

NASA

From 64K App Store ratings

What 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

Distant Suns 5

From 97 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Excellent astronomy app
  • 🔭 Comprehensive features for stargazing
  • 🌍 Helpful for learning about the night sky
  • 🔍 Useful for planning observing sessions
  • 🌌 Stunning visuals and graphics

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs in recent updates
  • 🤔 Confusing or unintuitive interface changes
  • 📱 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding and selecting objects
  • 🔍 Missing or inaccurate information

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

Distant Suns 5

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes when accessing preferences
  • Inability to sync with iCloud
  • Unresponsive or freezing app
  • Incorrect or outdated information displayed
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more detailed information on celestial objects
  • Improve compass and tracking functionality
  • Provide better support for astrophotography
  • Introduce a dark mode for night viewing
  • Add more customization options for the user interface

In-app purchases

None

NASA

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Distant Suns 5

One-time1
  • Hubble Guide Star Catalog$0.99

Questions

Is NASA free?
NASA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Distant Suns 5 free?
Distant Suns 5 costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NASA or Distant Suns 5?
NASA is rated higher. NASA averages 4.8 out of 5 from 64K ratings, while Distant Suns 5 averages 4.3 from 97 ratings.
Do NASA or Distant Suns 5 have ads?
Neither NASA nor Distant Suns 5 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NASA or Distant Suns 5?
NASA ships an update every 2 weeks, and Distant Suns 5 every 5 months. Most recently, NASA was updated on October 19, 2026 and Distant Suns 5 on October 14, 2026.

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