Comparison

Moon Globe HD vs Cedar Aim

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

Head to head
About

Moon Globe HD

Explore Earth's Moon in realistic 3D with this app. View detailed satellite imagery, observe real-time lighting changes, and identify lunar terrain and spacecraft. Switch to Telescope mode to see the Moon from your Earthly perspective.

Highlights
  • Real-time 3D lunar rendering
  • Realistic lighting simulation
  • Multitouch navigation
  • Telescope mode
  • Labeled terrain and spacecraft
  • Dynamic sky compass
Features
Read full description

Hold the Moon in your hands. Moon Globe HD turns your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad into a precision instrument for viewing Earth's Moon. Satellite imagery and topographic laser altimeter data are combined to render the Moon with realistic lighting in realtime 3D. Use the multitouch screen to manipulate the view. Spin above the surface, or switch to Telescope mode to see the Moon as it appears from your location on Earth. Adjust the display time and watch the sunlight shift over the lunar landscape. A "tag cloud" floats just above the surface, labeling terrain features and spacecraft; touch any label to find out more about that feature. Moon Globe also shows you where the Moon and Sun are in the sky with its dynamic sky compass. PLEASE NOTE: Regular Moon Globe is a smaller download and is free. This HD version has slightly, not extremely, better resolution.

About

Cedar Aim

This app connects to a specialized finder device to help you precisely locate celestial objects with your telescope. It uses star pattern recognition for real-time position detection and provides intuitive guidance for fast object finding. Enjoy seamless operation without an internet connection.

Highlights
  • Real-time telescope position detection
  • Fast star pattern recognition
  • Intuitive directional guidance
  • Comprehensive celestial object database
  • Works with any telescope mount
  • Completely local operation
  • Seamless wireless connection
Features
Read full description

Cedar Aim™ is the companion mobile app for the Hopper™ electronic finder from Clear Skies Astro. Cedar Aim helps you point your telescope precisely towards any celestial object with ease. How It Works Cedar Aim connects to your Hopper device, which captures real-time images of the sky where your telescope is pointed. By matching star patterns, Cedar Aim instantly determines your telescope's exact position in the sky. Choose your target object and follow the guidance on your mobile device to move your telescope precisely to your selection. Key Features • Real-time telescope position detection through fast star pattern recognition • Intuitive directional guidance system for fast object location • Access to comprehensive celestial object database including Messier, NGC, IC, and planetary targets • Works with any telescope mount - no motorization required • Completely local operation - no internet connection needed during use • Seamless wireless connection to your Hopper device Perfect For • Amateur astronomers seeking efficient object location • Stargazing sessions with family and friends • Astronomy educators and club outreach events • Anyone who wants to spend more time observing and less time searching Requirements • Hopper™ electronic finder device (sold separately by Clear Skies Astro) • Telescope (any mount type - no motorization required) • iOS device with GPS and WiFi capability • Clear view of the night sky Cedar Aim eliminates the frustration of traditional star-hopping by providing precise, automated guidance to thousands of celestial objects. Whether you're hunting down faint galaxies or showing Saturn to curious children, Cedar Aim ensures you'll find your targets quickly and confidently. Experience the future of visual astronomy with Cedar Aim and Hopper— where technology meets the timeless wonder of stargazing.

Screenshots

Moon Globe HD4 screens
Cedar Aim4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Cedar Aim at Free against Moon Globe HD's $0.99. Cedar Aim also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Moon Globe HD's advantage is ratings volume (149 vs 2) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 15.0). On 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

Cedar Aim is free to download; Moon Globe HD costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cedar Aim holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Moon Globe HD has 149 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Moon Globe HD ships an update every 6 months, Cedar Aim every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Moon Globe HD versus Cedar Aim: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMoon Globe HDCedar Aim
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (149 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings149 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS7.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size245 MB51 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMidnight MartianClear Skies Astro LLC

Customer experience

Moon Globe HD

All ratings149 ratings
Positive94.0%
Neutral2.7%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews149 reviews
Positive90.6%
Neutral7.4%
Negative2.0%

Cedar Aim

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Moon Globe HD

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • App not updated in 8 years, compatibility concerns
  • Support links lead to dead URLs
  • Location services don't work accurately
  • Terminator line appears fuzzy instead of sharp
  • iPad version lacks smooth telescope view access
Show 8 more
  • Search feature causes app to exit telescope mode
  • Feature search doesn't maintain feature visibility after search
  • White text invisible on bright crater areas
  • No zoom difference between free and HD versions (reported by some users)
  • Unexpected app closure when sharing wiki pages to OneNote
  • Aliasing/jagging artifacts along lunar horizon
  • Label resolution degrades when zoomed in
  • Latitude/longitude perspective feature not functioning

Requested features

21 requests
  • Mouse and trackpad support for Mac and iPad
  • Zoom and scroll buttons for easier navigation
  • Update with latest lunar landers and missions
  • Topography, gravity, and magnetic field maps
  • Moon phase names (full moon, new moon, etc.)
Show 16 more
  • Grid overlay for scale reference
  • Measurement tool similar to Google Earth
  • Higher resolution imagery and greater zoom depth
  • Lunar latitude and longitude coordinates display
  • Libration information and ephemeris data
  • Selenographic co-longitude of sun
  • Secondary crater nomenclature
  • Ranger spacecraft impact points
  • Print and save functionality
  • Earth glow simulation option
  • Transparent labels to show terrain context
  • Improved text contrast with black borders on white labels
  • Observing list feature to keep selected features highlighted
  • Manual coordinate entry for location
  • High-resolution labels when zoomed in
  • Automatic location feature improvements

Cedar Aim

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Moon Globe HD

No in-app purchases

None

Cedar Aim

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Moon Globe HD free?
Moon Globe HD costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cedar Aim free?
Cedar Aim is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Moon Globe HD or Cedar Aim?
Cedar Aim is rated higher. Moon Globe HD averages 4.7 out of 5 from 149 ratings, while Cedar Aim averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Moon Globe HD or Cedar Aim have ads?
Neither Moon Globe HD nor Cedar Aim shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Moon Globe HD or Cedar Aim?
Moon Globe HD ships an update every 6 months, and Cedar Aim every 2 weeks. Most recently, Moon Globe HD was updated on September 24, 2026 and Cedar Aim on September 23, 2026.

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