Comparison

Distant Suns 5 vs AerospaceSim

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

Head to head
About

Distant Suns 5

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
Read full description

Distant Suns: The night sky, reimagined. 2013 finalist in the Family category of TabTimes' best tablet app contest; "I am putting together some mobile astronomy apps for our local "Sky's the Limit" Observatory in Twentynine Palms, CA. I have been searching for something as good as, or better than, Distant Suns. Short answer: I have not found it yet. ...nothing portrays the night sky as well as Distant Suns. Distant Suns has been your personal guide to the cosmos since 1985. First on the desktop, now right in your hands. While others play games, you can travel to the stars. Award-winning Distant Suns has the reputation of both having one of the most realistic displays of the night sky, while being one of the easiest to use astronomy apps for casual sky watchers as well as serious astronomers. •Named in the "100 Essential Apps" by iLounge •Featured on NPR's MarketPlace Features include: •No Internet required. Just a sense of wonder. •View from the Earth or out in the solar system •Simply aim and gaze. •Over 18 million pinpoint stars scintillating like diamond dust in the palm of your hand (18 mil? Yup.) •Integrated with NASA's Night Sky Network space events in your area (US only at present) •What's Up? Gives a quick one snapshot overview of the evening's sky •Realistic ghostly band of the Milky Way •Stories behind each constellation •Viewpoint Lock keeps any object centered •Current weather patterns on the earth, updated daily •Change the look of the stars •Galaxies, nebula and star clusters •Hubble Space Telescope images •All 8 planets (or 9 for you purists) •GPS aware •Special color mode preserves your night vision. •Touch the sky to reveal hidden data for each object •Planetary data and information First Light is a proud member of Moms with Apps, a collaborative group of family-friendly developers with family-friendly apps. Twitter: @distantsuns Support: www.distantsuns.com

About

AerospaceSim

Features
Read full description

AerospaceSim is a 3D spaceflight visualization tool for exploring dynamic 3D simulations of spacecraft, satellites, and solar system objects. Import mission data, control playback, and analyze movement through a solar system environment. Designed for aerospace enthusiasts, students, and researchers who need a visual tool for understanding spaceflight mechanics without unnecessary complexity.

Screenshots

Distant Suns 54 screens
AerospaceSim3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AerospaceSim at none against Distant Suns 5's 1. Distant Suns 5's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $9.99). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Distant Suns 5 costs $2.99 and AerospaceSim $9.99 up front. Distant Suns 5 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. AerospaceSim asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Distant Suns 5 versus AerospaceSim: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDistant Suns 5AerospaceSim
Price$2.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.3 (97 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings97 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size815 MB206 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMike SmithwickPrinceton Satellite Systems

Bugs and requests

Distant Suns 5

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

AerospaceSim

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Distant Suns 5

One-time1
  • Hubble Guide Star Catalog$0.99
None

AerospaceSim

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Distant Suns 5 free?
Distant Suns 5 costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is AerospaceSim free?
AerospaceSim costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Distant Suns 5 or AerospaceSim have ads?
Neither Distant Suns 5 nor AerospaceSim shows ads.

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