# SOS Remote vs GLOBE Observer

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SOS Remote at 100% against GLOBE Observer's 34%. SOS Remote also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.1). GLOBE Observer's advantage is ratings volume (86 vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

SOS Remote holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GLOBE Observer has 86 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of SOS Remote's written reviews are positive against 34% of GLOBE Observer's.

SOS Remote ships an update every 8 months, GLOBE Observer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on July 20, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SOS Remote | GLOBE Observer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sos-remote/id476665630/reviews)** | [3.1 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/globe-observer/id1090456751/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **86** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 33.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 4 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NOAA Science On a Sphere](https://appshunter.io/developer/476665633) | [NASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/355542146) |

## What reviewers say

### SOS Remote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sos-remote/id476665630)

Control a Science On a Sphere® system with your mobile device. Adjust sphere orientation, manage datasets, and enhance presentations with interactive features. Ideal for educational settings.

**Highlights:** Adjust sphere orientation, Control dataset playback, Load presentation playlists, Search and browse data catalog, View dataset descriptions, Create presentation playlists, Draw on and zoom datasets, Dynamically adjust dataset layers

**In-app purchases:** none


### GLOBE Observer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/globe-observer/id1090456751)

Contribute to real scientific research by making environmental observations. Document clouds, mosquito habitats, land cover, and trees using your mobile device. Your data supports scientists worldwide, including NASA and NOAA.

**Highlights:** Make environmental observations, Document clouds, Map mosquito habitats, Record land cover, Measure tree height, Contribute to scientific research

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for citizen science
- 💡 Educational and informative
- 👍 Easy to use (for some)
- 👍 Meaningful environmental measurements
- 👍 Fun and engaging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Login/update issues
- 🐛 Account creation problems
- 🐛 Observations not submitting
- 🐛 Poor UI/UX design

**Reported bugs**

- Checking for updates loop
- 504 error on account creation
- Fails after step 5 in account creation
- Robot verification loop
- App crashes on opening

**Requested features**

- Improve UI/UX design
- Add dark mode
- Better translation
- Notifications for satellite flyovers
- Integrate with WorldView or Google Earth


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SOS Remote free?

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

### Is GLOBE Observer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SOS Remote or GLOBE Observer?

SOS Remote is rated higher. SOS Remote averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while GLOBE Observer averages 3.1 from 86 ratings.

### Do SOS Remote or GLOBE Observer have ads?

Neither SOS Remote nor GLOBE Observer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SOS Remote or GLOBE Observer?

SOS Remote ships an update every 8 months, and GLOBE Observer every 2 months. Most recently, SOS Remote was updated on July 20, 2026 and GLOBE Observer on September 23, 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.*