StarMap 3D+ Plus vs What's Up?
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
StarMap 3D+ Plus
Explore the cosmos with a portable star atlas. Identify planets, constellations, and deep sky objects using your device's sensors. Features detailed information and 3D visualizations for both beginners and advanced astronomers.
- Real-time satellite tracking (ISS, Hubble)
- Extensive star and deep sky object database
- Detailed constellation information and lines
- Location-based celestial object identification
- 3D universe visualization
- Adjustable date and time for celestial viewing
Read full descriptionHide full description
Use your iPhone's compass and gyroscope to find planets, constellations, satellites, and more with crisp, colorful, high-definition Retina graphics that use every pixel of your iPhone or iPad! Hold the universe in your pocket! StarMap 3D Plus is the portable star atlas for beginners or advanced astronomers. Use StarMap 3D Plus to find the planets, stars, constellations, star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae visible to you based on your location and time. StarMap 3D will even use the compass to automatically align the map! • Real-time positions of 150 artificial satellites, including the International Space Station (ISS), and the Hubble Space Telescope • iPad Support • Over 100,000 stars, with detailed information for each of them • 6,441 deep sky objects, with details such as distance from Earth, diameter, apparent size and orientation, and morphology • All 88 modern constellations, with lines based on the outlines from "The Stars: A New Way to See Them" by H.A. Rey • MacRobert and Classic constellation lines also available • Location-based-services (LBS) / Global Positioning System (GPS) support, or manually enter your longitude and latitude • Adjustable date and time of day • Also adjust time instantaneously and interactively with the Time Scroll feature • Compass support, if present • Planetarium Mode for seeing only objects visible to you, or browse the entire celestial sphere • 3D Mode for visualizing the universe in three dimensions
What's Up?
Discover celestial bodies visible in the night sky with this intuitive app. Easily track planets, the Sun, and Moon, and forecast their appearance. Access detailed information and moon phases, with support for the Southern Hemisphere.
- Simple sky grid display
- Effortless navigation
- Time-bar functionality
- Comprehensive celestial information
- Observation insights
- Moon phases
- Wikipedia links
Read full descriptionHide full description
Whether you're deciding if it's worth setting up your telescope or simply curious about that bright 'star,' What's Up? is the perfect companion for sky enthusiasts. Key Features: • Simple Sky Grid Display: View the positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets on an intuitive grid representing the night sky. • Effortless Navigation: No augmented reality or motion tracking needed—just a straightforward display to see what's up. • Time-Bar Functionality: Slide the time-bar to forecast the appearance of your favorite planets and their directions. • Comprehensive Information: Displays the location of the Sun, Moon, planets, and even Pluto. • Observation Insights: Instantly identify which celestial objects are prime for observation. • Moon Phases: Stay updated with the current moon phase. • Wikipedia Links: Dive deeper with quick access to Wikipedia pages for detailed information. • Southern Hemisphere Support: Sky-watchers down south are covered too. • Minimal Network Usage: Only needed for Wikipedia access. • Note: Localizations are limited to planet names. For a full 3D rendered experience with motion tracking, check out our award-winning companion app, Pocket Universe. If you already own Pocket Universe, you'll find What's Up? familiar yet even more user-friendly, with a sleeker design and quicker access to the "Currently Visible" mode, and basic Apple Watch support.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: What's Up? at Free against StarMap 3D+ Plus's $2.99. What's Up? also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.5 vs 16.6). StarMap 3D+ Plus's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 58%) and ratings volume (6.8K vs 8). On ads 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
What's Up? is free to download; StarMap 3D+ Plus costs $2.99 up front. StarMap 3D+ Plus sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. What's Up? asks for nothing beyond the download.
StarMap 3D+ Plus holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StarMap 3D+ Plus has 6.8K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of StarMap 3D+ Plus's written reviews are positive against 58% of What's Up?'s.
StarMap 3D+ Plus ships an update every 5 weeks, What's Up? every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | StarMap 3D+ Plus | What's Up? |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (6.8K ratings) — better | 4.6 (8 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 86.0% of reviews — better | 57.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6.8K — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #194 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 12.5 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 576 MB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sanville Software | John Kennedy |
Customer experience
StarMap 3D+ Plus
What's Up?
Bugs and requests
StarMap 3D+ Plus
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes or freezes on launch
- Incorrect moon and planet positioning
- Inconsistent performance after updates
Requested features
4 requests- More detailed deep sky object representations
- Improved tracking and compass accuracy
- Addition of educational content and tutorials
- Customization options for constellation art
What's Up?
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
StarMap 3D+ Plus
- More Stars$1.99
What's Up?
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is StarMap 3D+ Plus free?
Is What's Up? free?
Which has better reviews, StarMap 3D+ Plus or What's Up??
Do StarMap 3D+ Plus or What's Up? have ads?
Which is updated more often, StarMap 3D+ Plus or What's Up??
Other comparisons















