Comparison

Earth vs ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples

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

Head to head
About

Earth

Visualize global climate data from NASA satellites, including temperature, CO2, and sea level. Explore 3D Earth models with interactive controls and color-coded maps to understand environmental conditions.

Highlights
  • Global climate data visualization
  • Satellite data from Earth Science
  • Surface air temperature maps
  • CO2 and CO levels
  • Ozone and water vapor data
  • Gravity and sea level variations
  • Interactive 3D Earth model
Read full description

NASA's Earth Now is an application that visualizes recent global climate data from Earth Science satellites, including surface air temperature, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, and water vapor as well as gravity and sea level variations. Data sets are visually described using "false color" maps. Color-coded legends are provided to indicate relative strength or weakness of an environmental condition. The resulting 3D model of the Earth may be rotated by a single finger stroke, and may also be zoomed in or out by pinching 2 fingers. It was developed by the Earth Science Communications and Visualization Technology Applications and Development Teams at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with support from NASA Headquarters.

About

ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples

Explore interactive samples demonstrating powerful mapping and spatial analysis capabilities. View source code for each sample to learn how to integrate these features into your own applications. Covers maps, layers, feature editing, routing, analysis, and augmented reality.

Highlights
  • Interactive mapping samples
  • View source code
  • Map and scene visualization
  • Feature editing and geodatabases
  • Routing and directions
  • Spatial analysis
  • Augmented reality integration
Features
Read full description

Explore the ArcGIS Runtime SDK for iOS with dozens of interactive samples. Experience the SDK's powerful capabilities and learn how to incorporate them into your own apps. View the code behind each sample from within the app and see how easy it is to use the SDK. + Maps - Open, create, interact with and save maps + Layers - Display vector and raster data in maps and scenes + Features - Work with Feature layers and geodatabases + Edit Data - Add, delete, and edit features and attachments + Display Information - Show graphics, popups, callouts, and sketches + Search - Find addresses, places, and points of interest + Geometry - Create geometries and perform geometric operations + Route & Directions - Calculate routes between locations and around barriers + Analysis - Perform spatial analysis via geoprocessing tasks and services + Cloud & Portal - Search for webmaps and list portal group users + Scenes - Visualize 3D environments and symbols + Utility network - Work with utility networks, performing traces and exploring network elements + Augmented reality - View data overlaid on the real world through your device's camera The source code for the app is available on GitHub: https://github.com/Esri/arcgis-runtime-samples-ios

Screenshots

Earth4 screens
ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Earth at 42 against ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples's 10. On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Earth against 4.7 for ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 42 and 10 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Earth ships an update every 4 months, ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 5, 2026 and August 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Earth versus ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEarthArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (42 ratings)4.7 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings42 — better10
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size181 MB137 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJet Propulsion LaboratoryESRI

Customer experience

Earth

All ratings42 ratings
Positive90.5%
Neutral4.8%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews114 reviews
Positive73.7%
Neutral6.1%
Negative20.2%

ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples

All ratings10 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%

Bugs and requests

Earth

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • App crashes on startup or during use
  • Endless 'Loading model' message
  • Crashes on iPhone 4 and older devices
  • Pixel doubler requirement on iPad
  • No landscape orientation support
Show 7 more
  • Doesn't fill iPhone 5 screen properly
  • Extremely slow data loading
  • Menu navigation issues
  • Equator display shows slashes of emptiness
  • Zoom sensitivity causes twitchy behavior
  • Text readability issues against Earth background
  • Geographic data coverage gaps

Requested features

17 requests
  • Celsius/Kelvin temperature unit options
  • Satellite information (height, launch date)
  • ISS tracking capability
  • Ocean current visualization
  • Ice sheet data layers
Show 12 more
  • Methane concentration data
  • Snapshot/screenshot capability
  • Adjustable animation playback speed
  • Manual timeline scrolling for animations
  • Higher resolution maps for Retina displays
  • Landscape orientation support
  • iPad version
  • Google Earth integration
  • More detailed explanations of data
  • Selectable date ranges for animations
  • Atmospheric CO2 levels (previously removed)
  • Surface temperature data (previously removed)

ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Earth

No in-app purchases

None

ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Earth free?
Earth is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples free?
ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Earth or ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples?
ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples is rated higher. Earth averages 4.6 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples averages 4.7 from 10 ratings.
Do Earth or ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples have ads?
Neither Earth nor ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Earth or ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples?
Earth ships an update every 4 months, and ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples every 2 months. Most recently, Earth was updated on September 5, 2026 and ArcGIS Runtime SDK Samples on August 31, 2026.

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