# NASA vs Space Gate

The clearest difference is price: NASA at Free against Space Gate's $12.99. NASA also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (64K vs 200). Space Gate's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 70%). On rating, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

NASA is free to download; Space Gate costs $12.99 up front. Space Gate sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. NASA asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for NASA against 4.8 for Space Gate. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NASA has 64K ratings behind it against 200, 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 86% of Space Gate's.

NASA ships an update every 2 weeks, Space Gate weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NASA | Space Gate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $12.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (64K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nasa/id334325516/reviews)** | [4.8 (200 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-gate-ar-solar-system/id6474214531/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **64K** | 200 |
| Positive reviews | 69.9% of reviews | **85.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 60 MB | 156 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/355542146) | [Ali Samaei](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721049950) |

## 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


### Space Gate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-gate-ar-solar-system/id6474214531)

Explore the universe with interactive 3D and AR experiences of the solar system. Discover celestial bodies, engage with live astronomy news, and even interact with black holes. Tailored for learning and education.

**Highlights:** 3D and AR solar system exploration, Interactive black hole simulations, Live astronomy magazine, Educational celestial catalogs, Capture and save celestial snapshots

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $6.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Subscription | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Stunning 3D graphics and visual quality
- 🌍 Immersive AR experience for exploring planets
- 📚 Comprehensive educational content about space
- 🎓 Excellent tool for teachers and students
- 📸 Screenshot/snapshot capture functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Misleading free-to-play pricing model
- 🔒 Unexpected in-app purchase charges
- 🎮 Unintuitive navigation and UI
- 🐛 Orbital mechanics inaccuracies
- 🌙 Moon tidal locking not correctly simulated

**Reported bugs**

- Moon not tidally locked to Earth
- Moon orbiting Earth in wrong direction
- Planets orbiting sun in opposing/incorrect directions
- Uranus moons glitched
- Venus orbital speed faster than Mercury

**Requested features**

- Ability to set any planet as immobile center point
- More free planets without paywall
- Additional galaxies beyond solar system
- Toggle for planet/moon/star name labels
- Time-lapse function with variable speeds


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NASA free?

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

### Is Space Gate free?

Space Gate costs $12.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NASA or Space Gate?

NASA is rated higher. NASA averages 4.8 out of 5 from 64K ratings, while Space Gate averages 4.8 from 200 ratings.

### Do NASA or Space Gate have ads?

Neither NASA nor Space Gate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NASA or Space Gate?

NASA ships an update every 2 weeks, and Space Gate weekly. Most recently, NASA was updated on September 25, 2026 and Space Gate on August 1, 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.*