CosmoCalc vs Galaxy Map
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CosmoCalc
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide full description
CosmoCalc is a simple cosmological distance calculator. With a simple and intuitive interface you can quickly set a reference cosmology and redshift, and CosmoCalc will calculate a full suite of astronomical distances and scales. CosmoCalc is a useful and educational reference tool for astronomers, astronomy students, and anybody interested in calculating the distance to astronomical sources. CosmoCalc allows you to: * Select cosmological parameters H_0, Ω_m, and Ω_Λ with simple touch-screen controls * Easily choose from common reference cosmologies, including Planck 2013, WMAP9, Concordance, and Einstein-deSitter * Quickly determine the luminosity distance, angular diameter distance, lookback time, age of the Universe, comoving volume, and critical density * Easily switch between flat and non-flat cosmologies by clicking on the chain
Galaxy Map
Explore the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies in an interactive 3D map. Discover nebulae, supernovae, and planets, with stunning visuals based on NASA data. Ideal for education and space enthusiasts.
- Interactive 3D galaxy map
- Explore nebulae and supernovae
- Fly through planetary atmospheres
- Land on planets
- Based on NASA data
- Available in 100+ languages
Read full descriptionHide full description
The galaxy map is an interactive map of the Milky Way galaxy, Andromeda and their satellite galaxies. Explore the Orion Arm's nebulae and supernovae from the comfort of your spaceship. Fly through the atmosphere of Mars and many other planets and you can even land on them. Discover the galaxy in a stunning three dimensional map based on NASA's artistic impression of the Milky Way galactic structure. Photos are taken by NASA spacecraft and ground based telescopes like Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray, Herschel Space Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope. This interactive 3D map is excellent for teachers to use for instruction, and it is a great astronomy resource for students to explore the Milky Way galaxy and space as they learn more about the universe we live in. Available in over 100 languages! You can also From the outskirts of the galaxy, in the Norma-Outer spiral arm to the galactic center's supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, discover a galaxy full of amazing facts. Notable structures included: the Pillars of Creation, Helix Nebula, the Engraved Hourglass Nebula, the Pleiades, the Orion Arm (where the solar system and the Earth are located) with its Orion belt. Check out neighboring dwarf galaxies such as Sagittarius and the Canis Major Overdensity, stellar streams as well as internal galactic components such as a variety of nebulae, star clusters or supernovae. Explore space and get a little closer to our wonderful universe with this awesome astronomy app! The Galaxy Map requires internet access to retrieve information from the wiki.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CosmoCalc at none against Galaxy Map's 13. CosmoCalc also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Galaxy Map's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (609 vs 4). On price 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
Both are free to download. Galaxy Map sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. CosmoCalc asks for nothing beyond the download.
CosmoCalc holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Galaxy Map has 609 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of CosmoCalc's written reviews are positive against 80% of Galaxy Map's.
CosmoCalc ships an update every 6 months, Galaxy Map monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CosmoCalc | Galaxy Map |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | 4.6 (609 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 79.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 609 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 601 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Eli Rykoff | Andrei Nistorescu |
Customer experience
CosmoCalc
Galaxy Map
Bugs and requests
CosmoCalc
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Galaxy Map
Reported bugs
9 issues- App crashes on startup
- Explore button shows nothing
- Pinch-to-zoom doesn't work
- App won't load on iPad
- Text displays as boxes in language settings
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Mars moon orbital speed incorrect
- App kicks users out during exploration
- Loading issues and incomplete functionality
- Inconsistent performance across platforms
Requested features
18 requests- Search button to find galaxies and objects
- More diverse and realistic black hole designs
- AR feature to identify stars/planets in real sky
- More free content and objects
- Exoplanet additions (TRAPPIST-1e, J1407B)
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- Ability to click on stars within galaxies for details
- Generated planets around stars
- Sandbox/creation mode for user-generated content
- Animation for Milky Way and Andromeda
- More galaxy variety in the app
- Coordinates filter for objects
- Space-Engine style gameplay
- Flying through galaxies feature
- More female character customization options
- VIP version option
- Brown dwarfs addition
- Photosphere viewing mode
- More detailed star information
In-app purchases
CosmoCalc
No in-app purchases
Galaxy Map
- Buy ship - Alien Destroyer$0.99
- Buy ship - Alien fighter$0.99
- Remove ads$1.99
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Buy ship - Alien Destroyer$1.99
- Buy ship - Alien fighter$1.99
- 3D Visualization Pack$1.99
- Buy ship - Dragon Frigate$1.99
- Essentials bundle - SALE$2.99
- Remove ads$3.99
- 3D Visualization Pack$3.99
- Ultimate bundle - SALE$4.99
- Essentials bundle$4.99
- Ultimate bundle$8.99









