Comparison

SOS Remote vs Merge Object Viewer

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

Head to head
About

SOS Remote

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
Read full description

SOS Remote is a universal app for the iPhone*, iPod Touch*, and iPad that is used to control a Science On a Sphere® (SOS) system. SOS is a room sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to display planetary data onto a six-foot diameter sphere, analogous to an animated globe. SOS is used as an educational tool to help illustrate Earth System science to people of all ages in a way that is intuitive and captivating. The SOS Remote app affords greater interaction capabilities and ease of use compared to previous SOS controllers such as the Wii Remote. With this app, you can: • Adjust the orientation of the sphere in an intuitive way • Control playback of datasets • Load any presentation playlist stored on the SOS computer • Quickly search and browse the entire SOS Data Catalog and select datasets at random to load on the sphere • View a dataset's description and presenter notes while giving an SOS presentation • Quickly create a presentation playlist directly from the iPad • Draw on and zoom into a dataset loaded on the sphere • Dynamically turn on/off dataset layers and pips and adjust their transparency • Split the sphere into 2-4 vertical slices to replicate a portion of the dataset around the sphere • Perform full alignment of the sphere using an intuitive three step process * Note: The iPhone/iPod Touch support only a subset of the features described above. The iPad supports all features. Requirements: • In order to functionally use the SOS Remote app, you must have a Science On a Sphere® (SOS) installation • Wi-Fi or Bluetooth access to the SOS computer that is being controlled • SOS Software Version 5.5.0

About

Merge Object Viewer

Explore hundreds of 3D digital teaching aids with this app. Students can interact with models of rocks, mammals, cells, and more. The app also allows users to upload and view their own 3D objects on a compatible device.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of 3D teaching aids
  • Interactive 3D models
  • Learn about science and biology
  • Upload and view custom 3D objects
  • Hands-on digital learning
Features
Read full description

PLEASE NOTE: This app requires a Merge Cube and a smartphone or a tablet to play. To find out how to get a Merge Cube and to learn more, visit our website at: https://www.MergeCube.com. Object Viewer puts hundreds of digital teaching aids in the palm of your hand! Students can learn about rocks and minerals, mammals, reptiles, lifecycles, cells, and so much more using different collections of hands-on 3D models. Students can also upload, view, and share their own 3D objects on the Merge Cube. If you have any questions or suggestions, we would love to hear from you! Contact us at any time at support@MergeEdu.com. Privacy Policy: https://MergeEdu.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://MergeEdu.com/terms-of-use

Screenshots

SOS Remote2 screens
Merge Object Viewer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SOS Remote at 100% against Merge Object Viewer's 48%. SOS Remote also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). Merge Object Viewer's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (390 vs 3). On price, ads 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

Both are free to download. Merge Object Viewer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. SOS Remote asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SOS Remote holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merge Object Viewer has 390 ratings behind it against 3, 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 48% of Merge Object Viewer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SOS Remote ships an update every 8 months, Merge Object Viewer monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
SOS Remote versus Merge Object Viewer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSOS RemoteMerge Object Viewer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.5 (390 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better47.6% of reviews
Number of ratings3390 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB414 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNOAA Science On a SphereMerge Apps

Customer experience

SOS Remote

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Merge Object Viewer

All ratings389 ratings
Positive86.9%
Neutral2.1%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews105 reviews
Positive47.6%
Neutral7.6%
Negative44.8%

Bugs and requests

SOS Remote

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Merge Object Viewer

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Objects not loading or displaying incorrectly
  • App freezing or closing unexpectedly
  • Labeling/annotation issues with 3D objects
  • Compatibility problems on iPads and older iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Adjustable lighting for 3D objects
  • Ability to snap objects together
  • Camera button for capturing scenes
  • Restore VR support
  • More free 3D content options

In-app purchases

None

SOS Remote

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Merge Object Viewer

Subscriptions4
  • Object Viewer Premium Monthly14 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Merge EDU Individual14 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Object Viewer Premium Annual14 Days trial$99.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Merge EDU Individual14 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is SOS Remote free?
SOS Remote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Merge Object Viewer free?
Merge Object Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SOS Remote or Merge Object Viewer?
SOS Remote is rated higher. SOS Remote averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Merge Object Viewer averages 4.5 from 390 ratings.
Do SOS Remote or Merge Object Viewer have ads?
Neither SOS Remote nor Merge Object Viewer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SOS Remote or Merge Object Viewer?
SOS Remote ships an update every 8 months, and Merge Object Viewer monthly. Most recently, SOS Remote was updated on November 1, 2026 and Merge Object Viewer on November 2, 2026.

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