# Moon Globe HD vs SDO Viewer

The clearest difference is price: SDO Viewer at Free against Moon Globe HD's $0.99. SDO Viewer also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). Moon Globe HD's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.0) and review sentiment (91% vs 60%). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

SDO Viewer 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.

Moon Globe HD holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Moon Globe HD has 149 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Moon Globe HD's written reviews are positive against 60% of SDO Viewer's.

Moon Globe HD ships an update every 6 months, SDO Viewer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Moon Globe HD | SDO Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (149 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moon-globe-hd/id376000038/reviews)** | [3.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdo-viewer/id913723111/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **149** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **90.6% of reviews** | 60.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 245 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Midnight Martian](https://appshunter.io/developer/284473660) | [Jerome Diaz](https://appshunter.io/developer/334987620) |

## What reviewers say

### Moon Globe HD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moon-globe-hd/id376000038)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌙 Stunning high-resolution lunar imagery
- 👍 Excellent for amateur astronomers and telescope users
- 🔄 Flexible viewing modes (telescope view, globe view, mirrored)
- 💡 Accurate moon phase and illumination simulation
- 🎯 Comprehensive crater and feature identification with labels

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ No updates for 8+ years
- 🔗 Dead support links and broken URLs
- 🖱️ No mouse/trackpad support on Mac/iPad
- ❌ Missing recent lunar missions (Chinese landers, etc.)
- 🔍 Limited zoom capability compared to Google Earth

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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.)


### SDO Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sdo-viewer/id913723111)

Access and view the latest images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Receive push notifications when new images become available, keeping you updated on solar activity.

**Highlights:** Download SDO images, Display latest solar images, Push notifications for new images, Courtesy of NASA/SDO science teams

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Moon Globe HD free?

Moon Globe HD costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SDO Viewer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Moon Globe HD or SDO Viewer?

Moon Globe HD is rated higher. Moon Globe HD averages 4.7 out of 5 from 149 ratings, while SDO Viewer averages 3.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Moon Globe HD or SDO Viewer have ads?

Neither Moon Globe HD nor SDO Viewer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Moon Globe HD or SDO Viewer?

Moon Globe HD ships an update every 6 months, and SDO Viewer every 2 months. Most recently, Moon Globe HD was updated on September 24, 2026 and SDO Viewer on June 1, 2026.

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