Comparison

Jupiter Atlas vs 12parsecs

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Jupiter Atlas

Explore interactive 3D globes of Jupiter's four Galilean moons. Zoom in to reveal detailed labels, tap for more information, and view celestial phases. Customize orientation and explore over 680 named features.

Highlights
  • Interactive 3D globes of Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto
  • Pinch and zoom gestures for detailed exploration
  • Tap labels for feature information
  • Adjustable moon phase and orientation
  • Searchable feature database
  • Real-time celestial data display
Features
Read full description

Explore 3D globes of Jupiter's Galilean moons Use pinch and finger gestures to manipulate a 3D globe of one of four of Jupiter's Galilean moons. As you zoom in more labels appear as finer detail comes into view. You can double tap on the labels to get more information about a particular feature. Jupiter Atlas displays the approximate phase, axial tilt and central meridian of the selected moon from your chosen location and time, and renders these on the globe. You can switch to a 'Globe' mode that allows you to spin the moon around to see the whole globe. The feature database is searchable and can move the globe to a searched feature. The phase can be switched off to show the whole globe more clearly. The moon's globe can be shown with north or south at the top or inverted to suit different telescope views. Over 680 named features across four moons are included. These moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. The phase view shows the current view of Jupiter itself including the position of the Great Red Spot and the approximate axial tilt and central meridian. You can swipe left and right on the phase view to go backwards and forwards a day. When you turn the device to landscape mode a wider view is shown with the Galilean moons in their approximate positions for the time selected. Date, time and location can be changed. There is also a realtime mode that will update to the current time. Atlases for the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Venus and Saturn are also available on the App Store!

About

12parsecs

Features
Read full description

12parsecs provides conversion between commonly used astronomical units: parsecs kilometres astronomical units light years Features: Randomly selects background upon launch swipe left/right to change background tap results fields to show distances in non-scientific format Additional star data shown for stars 12pc from earth press units selector for more than 1 second for definition of unit definitions via wikipedia page available in: English French German

Screenshots

Jupiter Atlas4 screens
12parsecs3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: 12parsecs at Free against Jupiter Atlas's $2.99. On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

12parsecs is free to download; Jupiter Atlas costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Jupiter Atlas ships an update every 4 months, 12parsecs every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Jupiter Atlas versus 12parsecs: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJupiter Atlas12parsecs
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJulian JamesAlan Glasby

In-app purchases

None

Jupiter Atlas

No in-app purchases

None

12parsecs

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Jupiter Atlas free?
Jupiter Atlas costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is 12parsecs free?
12parsecs is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Jupiter Atlas or 12parsecs have ads?
Neither Jupiter Atlas nor 12parsecs shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Jupiter Atlas or 12parsecs?
Jupiter Atlas ships an update every 4 months, and 12parsecs every 5 months. Most recently, Jupiter Atlas was updated on September 21, 2026 and 12parsecs on September 14, 2026.

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