Comparison

SOS Remote vs Merge Explorer

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 Explorer

Explore over 100 interactive science simulations using a smartphone and a Merge Cube. Investigate volcanoes, sharks, the solar system, and more with hands-on activities and quizzes. Ideal for K-8 students learning science at school or home.

Highlights
  • Over 100 science simulations
  • Interactive Merge Cube experiences
  • Hands-on learning activities
  • Built-in quizzes
  • NGSS-aligned K-8 curriculum
  • Physical, Life, and Earth/Space Science topics
Features
Read full description

PLEASE NOTE: This app requires a Merge Cube and a smartphone or a tablet to experience. Find out how to get a Merge Cube and learn more at: https://www.MergeCube.com. Students can learn science effectively with over 100 science simulations they can touch, hold and interact with! Merge Explorer (along with a Merge Cube) allows students to investigate a smoking volcano in the palm of their hand, examine a great white shark up close, hold and explore the solar system, dissect a frog (humanely!), and so much more. With easy-to-follow activities and built-in quizzes, students gain key knowledge while immersed in learning, both in the classroom or while remote learning at home. Merge Explorer includes NGSS-aligned topics for K-8th grade, like Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth & Space Science. If you have any questions or suggestions, we want 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 Explorer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SOS Remote at 100% against Merge Explorer's 46%. SOS Remote also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). Merge Explorer's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (279 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 Explorer 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 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merge Explorer has 279 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 46% of Merge Explorer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
SOS Remote versus Merge Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSOS RemoteMerge Explorer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.1 (279 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better46.2% of reviews
Number of ratings3279 — 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 MB1.3 GB
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 Explorer

All ratings279 ratings
Positive76.3%
Neutral7.2%
Negative16.5%
Written reviews65 reviews
Positive46.2%
Neutral10.8%
Negative43.1%

Bugs and requests

SOS Remote

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Merge Explorer

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • App crashes on iPad
  • App crashes when pressing play
  • Camera not working in app
  • Black screen when using cube or camera
  • VR function broken
Show 8 more
  • VR doesn't work with iPhone XS Max
  • App crashes or loads forever
  • Problems with galactic explore
  • App has trouble recognizing the cube
  • Screen recording only records cube, not overlay
  • Words appear sideways in horizontal mode
  • Content appears incorrectly
  • App crashes

Requested features

9 requests
  • Make the app free to play
  • Add more fun things, not just learning
  • Bring back the fun apps (time bomb, block courses)
  • Allow users to create their own games for the merge cube
  • Add a way to reset quizzes for class sets of devices
Show 4 more
  • Improve functionality for remote teaching, including screen recording
  • Add more content in the future
  • Add dark mode option
  • Add advanced analytics dashboard

In-app purchases

None

SOS Remote

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Merge Explorer

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

Questions

Is SOS Remote free?
SOS Remote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Merge Explorer free?
Merge Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SOS Remote or Merge Explorer?
SOS Remote is rated higher. SOS Remote averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Merge Explorer averages 4.1 from 279 ratings.
Do SOS Remote or Merge Explorer have ads?
Neither SOS Remote nor Merge Explorer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SOS Remote or Merge Explorer?
SOS Remote ships an update every 8 months, and Merge Explorer monthly. Most recently, SOS Remote was updated on November 1, 2026 and Merge Explorer on November 2, 2026.

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