# Back in Time for iPhone vs Cosmic Atlas

The clearest difference is price: Cosmic Atlas at Free against Back in Time for iPhone's $4.99. Cosmic Atlas also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (65 vs 16). Back in Time for iPhone's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (72% vs 59%). On rating and ads there is nothing between them.

Cosmic Atlas is free to download; Back in Time for iPhone costs $4.99 up front. Cosmic Atlas sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Back in Time for iPhone asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.8 for Back in Time for iPhone against 3.7 for Cosmic Atlas. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 65 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of Back in Time for iPhone's written reviews are positive against 59% of Cosmic Atlas's.

Back in Time for iPhone ships an update every 8 months, Cosmic Atlas every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Back in Time for iPhone | Cosmic Atlas |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.8 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/back-in-time-for-iphone/id483148811/reviews)** | [3.7 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cosmic-atlas/id1305522465/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **65** |
| Positive reviews | **71.7% of reviews** | 58.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 625 MB | 147 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Landka](https://appshunter.io/developer/450345696) | [Cosmic Atlas LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1503373138) |

## What reviewers say

### Back in Time for iPhone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/back-in-time-for-iphone/id483148811)

Explore the history of the universe, Earth, life, and civilization through interactive timelines, stunning visuals, and custom animations. This app offers an immersive learning experience with social and historical context for key events.

**Highlights:** Interactive timelines, Over 350 images, 60+ animations and videos, 200+ interesting facts, Offline access, Multilingual support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cosmic Atlas

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cosmic-atlas/id1305522465)

Explore a vast, scientifically rendered universe with lifelike exoplanets and detailed celestial bodies. Navigate through trillions of light years with multiple exploration modes, from first-person flight to telescopic identification. Discover and learn about thousands of planets beyond our solar system.

**Highlights:** Explore 5,000+ lifelike exoplanets, Navigate 180 trillion sq light years, Six interstellar travel modes, First-person planet view, Scientifically accurate renderings, Telescope identification mode, Detailed planet information panels

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Features | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Stunning visuals and graphics
- 🌌 Immersive exploration experience
- 📚 Great for learning about the universe
- 💡 Unique and original app
- 🚀 Fast and smooth performance (when working)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and errors
- 💸 Paywalls limit free version
- 🤔 Confusing in-app purchases
- 📱 Text size difficult to read
- 😵 Over-the-top and irritating graphics

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes upon opening
- Kicked out of the game
- Cannot connect to server
- Error that doesn't let user in
- Planets brighten up unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Add more solar system objects
- Fix Haumea's shape
- Add more candidates, dwarf moons, hypothetical objects, spacecrafts, anomalies, random asteroids, meteoroids, and comets
- Add ability to go into planets and see a preview
- Add more galaxies to travel to


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Back in Time for iPhone free?

Back in Time for iPhone costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cosmic Atlas free?

Cosmic Atlas is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Back in Time for iPhone or Cosmic Atlas?

Back in Time for iPhone is rated higher. Back in Time for iPhone averages 3.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Cosmic Atlas averages 3.7 from 65 ratings.

### Do Back in Time for iPhone or Cosmic Atlas have ads?

Neither Back in Time for iPhone nor Cosmic Atlas shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Back in Time for iPhone or Cosmic Atlas?

Back in Time for iPhone ships an update every 8 months, and Cosmic Atlas every 3 weeks. Most recently, Back in Time for iPhone was updated on November 6, 2026 and Cosmic Atlas on November 4, 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.*