Comparison

ESA cryosat vs Space Telescope App

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

Head to head
About

ESA cryosat

Explore a comprehensive overview of a European Space Agency ice mission, including its unique space and ground segments. Discover real mission measurements, visualize data on a world map, and interact with a 3D satellite model.

Highlights
  • CryoSat mission description
  • Photos and videos
  • Mission news updates
  • Interactive 3D satellite model
  • World map with orbit position
  • Visualization of real measurements
Features
Read full description

CryoSat is ESA’s (European Space Agency) first ice mission. Launched in April 2010, it provides multi-year elevation data at latitudes never reached before by a satellite altimeter. The satellite has sophisticated technologies to determine variations in the thickness of polar sea ice to monitor changes in the vast ice sheets that overlie Greenland and Antarctica. This application is a gateway to knowing what the mission is about, how it works and what the elements of the space and ground segment that makes this mission unique are. It includes also a dedicated section that allows one to discover and visualize real CryoSat measurements over our planet: a remarkable tool for students and scientists engaged in using CryoSat products or interested in satellite engineering. Features: - Description of the CryoSat mission: space and ground segment - Large selection of photos and videos on a wide range of topics related to CryoSat - Latest mission operations news - Striking CryoSat 3D model with explanations of the different platform and payload elements - World map with orbit position of the satellite - Satellite visibility over selected ground stations and local position - Automatic update of the CryoSat orbit - Impressive visualization of real Cryosat measurements over the Earth with vertical profiles and easy geographical localization - Access to several geophysical parameters measured by the satellite …and much more Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. In the 3D environment: - swipe/pinch to rotate/zoom the satellite model - triple touch to reset position

About

Space Telescope App

Explore the universe with real-time updates and stunning visuals from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Engage with expert insights, join community discussions, and test your knowledge with interactive quizzes. Discover distant galaxies and unlock the secrets of the early universe.

Highlights
  • Live mission updates
  • Breathtaking image gallery
  • Expert Q&A with astronomers
  • Community discussions
  • Interactive space quizzes
  • 3D solar system explorer
  • Exclusive wallpapers
Features
Read full description

Space Telescope is an astronomy app for people who actually go outside and look up. See what the James Webb Space Telescope is observing right now. Decide whether tonight is worth staying out for. Catch the next visible ISS pass over your own location, and follow the rocket launches coming up. WHAT WEBB IS LOOKING AT, RIGHT NOW Webb's current target, science category, proposal, instruments and scheduled times, refreshed every five minutes while the view is open. Tap through to the proposal or the full observation schedule. A REAL PLAN FOR METEOR NIGHT Most meteor apps hand you a peak date. This one tells you what you will actually see. Set your location and how dark your sky is, and get an honest meteors-per-hour range, the best viewing window, where to look, how much the Moon will wash out, and what 30, 60 or 90 minutes outside is likely to be worth. Two alerts that matter: a heads-up the evening before, and a nudge when your window opens. Cloud cover is not included, so check the weather before you commit. THE ISS, OVER YOUR HOUSE Live position, altitude, velocity and orbit, plus crew, expeditions, dockings and visiting vehicles. Seven days of passes for your location with quality, direction, peak elevation and duration - set a 10-minute alert or drop the pass straight into your calendar. LAUNCH DAY Upcoming launches with live countdowns, status, provider, rocket, pad, launch window and webcast link. One tap for a reminder 15 minutes before liftoff. GALLERIES WORTH SCROLLING Imagery and mission guides for James Webb, Hubble, Chandra, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, Artemis, Mars and the ISS. Follow Roman's countdown, instruments and journey to L2. Pinch to zoom, save, share, like and comment. Turn on alerts only for the galleries you care about. PICTURE OF THE DAY NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day, image or video, with the full expert explanation and an optional daily alert. AND WHEN YOU WANT MORE - Tonight Sky: sunrise, sunset, Moon phase, illumination and twilight - Space Weather: Kp index, solar wind, aurora probability and active alerts - Cosmic Calendar: meteor showers, eclipses and other sky events - Exoplanets: discovery method and year, distance, orbit, mass, radius, temperature, host star and habitable-zone marker - Community astrophotography: post your own shots with gear and conditions - Space wallpapers for your phone - Quizzes, points, levels and global leaderboards - Ask an Astronomer, and live chat rooms in 10 languages - Full interface in English and Spanish PREMIUM Space Telescope is free, with ads. Premium removes every ad, unlocks the premium wallpaper collection and adds a gold avatar ring. Choose a monthly or annual subscription, or pay once for lifetime access, which also grants 1,000,000 points and Diamond level straight away. Subscriptions are charged to your Apple Account and renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings. Whether you follow Webb every day, plan a Perseids or Geminids watch, photograph the night sky, teach astronomy, or just want to know when the ISS will cross overhead, Space Telescope keeps the useful details in one place. Space Telescope is an independent astronomy app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA, ESA, STScI, SpaceX or any launch provider. Data and imagery are credited to their respective sources. Privacy policy: https://jameswebbtracker.com/privacy-policy Terms of use (Apple standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

ESA cryosat4 screens
Space Telescope App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ESA cryosat at none against Space Telescope App's 4. ESA cryosat also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (50% vs 39%). Space Telescope App's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 6 months). On price 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. Space Telescope App sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. ESA cryosat asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ESA cryosat ships an update every 6 months, Space Telescope App every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
ESA cryosat versus Space Telescope App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterESA cryosatSpace Telescope App
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.1 (31 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better38.7% of reviews
Number of ratings—31 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size115 MB104 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperESA - European Space AgencyKAKHA GIORGASHVILI

Customer experience

ESA cryosat

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Space Telescope App

All ratings31 ratings
Positive74.2%
Neutral6.5%
Negative19.4%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive38.7%
Neutral9.7%
Negative51.6%

In-app purchases

None

ESA cryosat

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Space Telescope App

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Ad-Free Plan$4.991 Month
  • Ad-Free Annual Access$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Premium$2.99
  • Buy 1M Points$99.99

Questions

Is ESA cryosat free?
ESA cryosat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Space Telescope App free?
Space Telescope App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ESA cryosat or Space Telescope App have ads?
Space Telescope App shows ads; ESA cryosat does not.
Which is updated more often, ESA cryosat or Space Telescope App?
ESA cryosat ships an update every 6 months, and Space Telescope App every 10 days. Most recently, ESA cryosat was updated on November 1, 2026 and Space Telescope App on November 3, 2026.

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