# Distant Suns 5 vs Earth Science Explorer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Earth Science Explorer at none against Distant Suns 5's 1. Earth Science Explorer also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and price ($1.99 vs $2.99). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Distant Suns 5 costs $2.99 and Earth Science Explorer $1.99 up front. Distant Suns 5 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Earth Science Explorer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Distant Suns 5 ships an update every 5 months, Earth Science Explorer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Distant Suns 5 | Earth Science Explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **$1.99** |
| Rating | **[4.3 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/distant-suns-5/id363418936/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **97** | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 815 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPad, Mac, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mike Smithwick](https://appshunter.io/developer/294198918) | [Ventura Educational Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/371324172) |

## What reviewers say

### Distant Suns 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/distant-suns-5/id363418936)

Explore the cosmos with a realistic and user-friendly astronomy app. Discover constellations, planets, and celestial events with detailed information and stunning visuals. Perfect for both casual stargazers and serious astronomers.

**Highlights:** Realistic night sky display, View from Earth or solar system, Over 18 million stars, Integrated NASA space events, Stories behind constellations, Night vision color mode, Hubble Space Telescope images

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hubble Guide Star Catalog | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent astronomy app
- 🔭 Comprehensive features for stargazing
- 🌍 Helpful for learning about the night sky
- 🔍 Useful for planning observing sessions
- 🌌 Stunning visuals and graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs in recent updates
- 🤔 Confusing or unintuitive interface changes
- 📱 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🔍 Difficulty finding and selecting objects
- 🔍 Missing or inaccurate information

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when accessing preferences
- Inability to sync with iCloud
- Unresponsive or freezing app
- Incorrect or outdated information displayed
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS devices

**Requested features**

- Add more detailed information on celestial objects
- Improve compass and tracking functionality
- Provide better support for astrophotography
- Introduce a dark mode for night viewing
- Add more customization options for the user interface


### Earth Science Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earth-science-explorer/id1248941619)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Distant Suns 5 free?

Distant Suns 5 costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Earth Science Explorer free?

Earth Science Explorer costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Distant Suns 5 or Earth Science Explorer have ads?

Neither Distant Suns 5 nor Earth Science Explorer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Distant Suns 5 or Earth Science Explorer?

Distant Suns 5 ships an update every 5 months, and Earth Science Explorer every 2 months. Most recently, Distant Suns 5 was updated on October 22, 2026 and Earth Science Explorer on October 13, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*