Mars Globe HD vs Sky Across
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mars Globe HD
Explore the Red Planet with a detailed virtual globe. This app features a high-resolution satellite map, topographic lighting, and annotated surface features. Discover intriguing locations with an introduction and guided tour, or explore freely.
- High-resolution satellite map of Mars
- Advanced topographic lighting
- Annotated surface features (1500+)
- Introduction and guided tour
- Free exploration mode
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Take a tour of the mysterious Red Planet. This virtual globe combines a high-resolution satellite map with laser altimeter data and advanced topographic lighting to present the planet Mars as it appears from above. An Introduction and Guided Tour present some of Mars' most intriguing features. You can leave the guided tour and explore Mars as you like; over 1500 surface features have been annotated with information and links. Mars Globe HD is a must-have app for anyone interested in our solar system. PLEASE NOTE: Regular Mars Globe is a smaller download and is free. This HD version has slightly, not extremely, better resolution and rendering.
Sky Across
Discover the night sky through augmented reality and explore celestial patterns from diverse cultural perspectives. Compare constellations and star names from different traditions side-by-side in multiple languages, even offline.
- Augmented reality star map
- Multicultural constellation comparison
- Dual-language star names
- Offline stargazing
- Night mode interface
- Lightweight and fast performance
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Explore the sky with your phone — anywhere, anytime. Sky Across is a lightweight, real-time stargazing tool that transforms your phone into an augmented reality star map. Just hold your iPhone towards the sky, and stars, constellations, and celestial patterns will appear on your screen. Whether you’re observing out in the field or right at home, Sky Across makes exploring the night sky effortless. Discover the night sky through diverse cultural perspectives — displaying constellations and star names from different traditions side by side, in any languages of your choice. ---------- Key Features: AR Star Map - Point your phone to the sky to see real-time overlays of stars and constellations with accurate positioning. Constellations Across Cultures - Explore how different civilizations view the night sky. Compare constellation patterns worldwide. Sky Culture Comparison - See star names in different cultures — with dual-language display side-by-side. Supports multiple translations for each sky culture. Offline and Outdoor Friendly - No internet? No problem. Sky Across works offline, perfect for outdoor trips. Night Mode & Simple Interface - Clean, minimal design with a dark theme to protect your night vision. Lightweight and Fast - Optimized for smooth performance on many devices without draining your battery. ---------- Currently version supports sky cultures: Modern (IAU) • Chinese • Greek • Arabic • Babylonian • Egyptian • Maya • Romanian • Belarusian Currently version supports each sky culture in languages: English • Chinese(Simplified) • French • Japanese • Korean • German • Spanish • Italian • Russian Currently version supports UI interface in languages: English • Chinese(Simplified) • Chinese(Traditional) • French • Japanese • Korean • German • Spanish • Italian • Russian
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sky Across at 100% against Mars Globe HD's 83%. Sky Across also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). Mars Globe HD's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $2.99) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 15.0). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
Mars Globe HD costs $0.99 and Sky Across $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Mars Globe HD ships an update every 3 months, Sky Across monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mars Globe HD | Sky Across |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (54 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 82.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 54 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 526 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Midnight Martian | Yue Liu |
Customer experience
Mars Globe HD
Sky Across
Bugs and requests
Mars Globe HD
Reported bugs
5 issues- Dead NASA links
- Blurry HD textures on modern iOS
- Navigation issues near poles
- Choppy playback after updates
- Jittery movement during rotation
Requested features
23 requests- Add Sun, Earth, and moons Phobos/Deimos
- More defined sun color
- Update with InSight and Perseverance landing sites
- Add a reset button
- Input latitude and longitude
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- Add a coordinate grid
- Allow inputting or importing custom locations
- Add a 3D view
- Add local time for MSL Curiosity
- Add distances between landmarks, depths, and heights
- Add similar apps for Ceres and Mercury
- Add a real-time view of the central meridian
- Add longitude and latitude scale and satellite locations
- Show proper tilt, disk size, illumination, and distance data
- Add a 'view from Earth' option
- Add real-time phases or time sliding abilities
- Add a telescope view option
- Add Earth Globe HD product
- Add Jupiter or other celestial bodies
- Improve polar rendering
- Allow flying close over the surface
- More resolution for astronomers
- Add German language support
Sky Across
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Mars Globe HD
No in-app purchases
Sky Across
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Mars Globe HD free?
Is Sky Across free?
Do Mars Globe HD or Sky Across have ads?
Which is updated more often, Mars Globe HD or Sky Across?
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