# Emerald Observatory for iPad vs SIMAGIN

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: SIMAGIN at 12.0 against Emerald Observatory for iPad's 17.0. On price, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emerald Observatory for iPad | SIMAGIN |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (96 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emerald-observatory-for-ipad/id364904759/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **96** | — |
| Positive reviews | 98.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 19 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPad** | — |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bjorn Freeman-Benson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1766829089) | [ALEXEY RUSSKIN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1719679776) |

## What reviewers say

### Emerald Observatory for iPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emerald-observatory-for-ipad/id364904759)

This app provides a comprehensive astronomical display on a single screen, offering detailed information about celestial bodies and timekeeping. It features a heliocentric orrery, rise and set times, twilight information, and moon phase details. Users can navigate through time and set alarms for astronomical events.

**Highlights:** Astronomical information display, Heliocentric orrery, Rise and set times for Sun, Moon, planets, Twilight times, Moon phase and orientation, World map of day/night regions, Eclipse simulator

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Visually stunning and beautiful design
- 💡 Extremely informative and data-rich
- 👍 Elegant and exquisite user interface
- 🚀 Flawless UX and intuitive design
- 🌟 Unique and nonpareil functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏳ Last update a year ago
- 🤔 Interface can be tough to decipher initially
- 🔄 Lack of recent updates
- 📱 Not available on iPhone/Apple Watch

**Requested features**

- Port to screen wallpaper
- Large wall clock version
- Apple TV version
- Support for Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto
- iPhone and Apple Watch versions


### SIMAGIN

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simagin/id6448443551)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emerald Observatory for iPad free?

Emerald Observatory for iPad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SIMAGIN free?

SIMAGIN is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which is updated more often, Emerald Observatory for iPad or SIMAGIN?

Emerald Observatory for iPad ships an update every 5 months, and SIMAGIN every 5 months. Most recently, Emerald Observatory for iPad was updated on October 26, 2026 and SIMAGIN on October 25, 2026.

---

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