Comparison

SoHO Viewer vs Eclipse Explorer

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

Head to head
About

SoHO Viewer

Access and view the latest images from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SoHO). Receive push notifications when new images are available, keeping you updated on solar activity. This app is a convenient tool for anyone interested in space imagery.

Highlights
  • Download latest SoHO images
  • Display solar images
  • Push notifications for new images
  • Badge notification for new images
  • Image courtesy of SOHO consortium
Features
Read full description

SoHO Viewer is a simple application for downloading and displaying the latest images taken by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SoHO). It includes push notifications so you can be notified by a badge on the application when new images are available. It was quoted as “one of the ten best free applications to have on your iphone if you like stargazing:” http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/112210-free-iphone-stargazing-apps.html It appears in Mars 2015 edition of Sky And Telescope, page 70. Images are courtesy of SOHO consortium. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. If you had like to see images taken by Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) please use the SDO Viewer application.

About

Eclipse Explorer

Explore solar eclipses with detailed circumstances for your location between 1900 and 2100. Features countdown timers, Sun and Moon simulations, and real-time shadow mapping. Overlay weather data to avoid clouds during totality.

Highlights
  • Location-based eclipse circumstances (1900-2100)
  • Countdown timers to eclipse events
  • Sun and Moon position simulation
  • Real-time Moon shadow mapping
  • Satellite and radar weather overlays
  • Offline map functionality
Features
Read full description

Eclipse Explorer is a free mobile app that allows you to view the circumstances for solar eclipses that occur between 1900 and 2100 using your GPS defined location. It uniquely features countdown timers to eclipse events at your specific location, simulates the position of the Sun and Moon, and draws the location of the Moon's shadow on the Earth in real-time. A solar eclipse is one of nature's most amazing spectacles, however, clouds can ruin your day. Use this app to overlay satellite and radar data on the day of the eclipse to make sure you stay within the path of totality and away from the clouds! Find out exactly when the eclipse starts and finishes for your location with countdown timers. Be ready for the total eclipse in August of 2017! Free, with minor ad support. Only one full page ad will be displayed per app start, then one banner ad, which will automatically close in less than 20 seconds. Please check out my website for full details and instructions on how to use the app. http://www.solareclipseapp.com Please keep in mind this is a CPU/GPU intensive app. Recommended for phones a tablets made within the last 2 years. Full Release Notes Welcome to Eclipse Explorer version 3! Now has a beautiful material design. Multi-threaded performance improvements. Improved accuracy. Improved shadow details. Newly designed map. Map works offline. Show weather overlays on the eclipse map. Optionally, show eclipse circumstances, map, and simulation on a single screen. Your all-in-one app for the Great American Eclipse of 2017. Full version history: v3.4.1 Fixed: iOS only: Upside down orientation fix. v3.4.0 New: Lunar limb profile for improved contact times (TSE2017 only) New: Solar corona shown during total phase in eclipse simulation Improved: GPS time correction sync. (Green clock is GPS time) Fixed: Offline map does not load in some situations. v3.3.0 New: Moon's shadow speed shown in realtime or during animation, only when (ant)umbral shadow is touching Earth. New: Distance to totality/annularity or distance to eclipse centerline shown. New: Max duration of totatlity/annularity at closest point along centerline shown. New: Info ball shows click for hint. Fixed: Another timezone crash bug. Fixed: Offline map sometimes did not display after app restart. Changed: Hints last longer. v3.2.0 New: Voice cue and three cue beep audio event indications. New: Next occurring circumstance will scroll to visibility and flash in realtime. New: App user hints and tips. Fixed: Realtime tag did not appear on simulation screen when it should have. Fixed: Zoom in button did not work in certain screen orientations. Fixed: Map may not display on app restart in offline mode. Fixed: Next visible eclipse selects day-of eclipse. Fixed: Animations tags may show up circumstance page when they should not. Fixed: Certain timezones caused app crash. Improved: Realtime shadow lag. Improved: Hardened code to ensure realtime shadow and simulation start on day of eclipse. Changed: Time travel mode will now sequence to 15 seconds prior to event. Total or annular begins event is 60 seconds. v3.1.0 Added: App maintains state through restart/refresh. Added: Location Freeze mode, long press location icon to freeze manual location. Long press to unfreeze. Improved: Shadow animations while GPS is on. Fixed: Race condition when selecting certain eclipses. Fixed: Draw all eclipse lines no matter which thread completes first. v3.0.5 Fixed location change while zooming. Made circumstance page more readable / flexible Various bug fixes v3.0.4 Fixed location change while zooming. Made circumstance page more readable / flexible Various bug fixes v3.0.2 * Made map more responsive to location change touches. * Fixed version code in about page v2.0.2 Fixed: Google Maps API Key added, Google maps feature should work. Improved: Built against latest Apache Cordova and latest Android SDK. Update: jQueryMobile v1.4.5

Screenshots

SoHO Viewer4 screens
Eclipse Explorer2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Eclipse Explorer at 4.0 against SoHO Viewer's 3.4. Eclipse Explorer also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (10.3 vs 13.0). SoHO Viewer's advantage is ratings volume (19 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Eclipse Explorer holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SoHO Viewer has 19 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 69% of SoHO Viewer's written reviews are positive against 67% of Eclipse Explorer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SoHO Viewer ships an update every 2 months, Eclipse Explorer every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
SoHO Viewer versus Eclipse Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSoHO ViewerEclipse Explorer
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (19 ratings)4.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews69.1% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings19 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.010.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJérôme DiazJoshua Berlin

Customer experience

SoHO Viewer

All ratings19 ratings
Positive57.9%
Neutral5.3%
Negative36.8%
Written reviews68 reviews
Positive69.1%
Neutral10.3%
Negative20.6%

Eclipse Explorer

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

SoHO Viewer

No in-app purchases

None

Eclipse Explorer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SoHO Viewer free?
SoHO Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Eclipse Explorer free?
Eclipse Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SoHO Viewer or Eclipse Explorer?
Eclipse Explorer is rated higher. SoHO Viewer averages 3.4 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Eclipse Explorer averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do SoHO Viewer or Eclipse Explorer have ads?
Neither SoHO Viewer nor Eclipse Explorer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SoHO Viewer or Eclipse Explorer?
SoHO Viewer ships an update every 2 months, and Eclipse Explorer every 5 days. Most recently, SoHO Viewer was updated on October 5, 2026 and Eclipse Explorer on October 3, 2026.

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