# Ascent vs Mars

The clearest difference is ads: Ascent at none against Mars's shown. Ascent also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Ascent ships an update every 46 months, Mars every 32 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ascent | Mars |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascent-commemorating-shuttle/id473973416/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **16** | — |
| Positive reviews | 89.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 46 months | **Every 32 months** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 731 MB | 108 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [NASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/355542146) | [Alparslan Topbas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1130875171) |

## What reviewers say

### Ascent

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascent-commemorating-shuttle/id473973416)

Explore stunning Shuttle mission footage with commentary, additional scenes, and production notes. This educational compilation offers a deep dive into the STS-114, STS-117, and STS-124 missions.

**Highlights:** Ground-based Shuttle motion imagery, STS-114, STS-117, and STS-124 mission footage, Includes commentary, Additional scenes, Selected images, Production notes

**In-app purchases:** none


### Mars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-curiosity/id1549319225)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ascent free?

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

### Is Mars free?

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

### Do Ascent or Mars have ads?

Mars shows ads; Ascent does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ascent or Mars?

Ascent ships an update every 46 months, and Mars every 32 months. Most recently, Ascent was updated on October 13, 2026 and Mars on September 30, 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.*