# Earth vs 3D AR Maps

The clearest difference is update cadence: 3D AR Maps at weekly against Earth's every 4 months. 3D AR Maps also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). Earth's advantage is ratings volume (42 vs 4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

3D AR Maps holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Earth has 42 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Earth ships an update every 4 months, 3D AR Maps weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Earth | 3D AR Maps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earth-now/id494633346/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3d-ar-maps/id1356848556/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **42** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 73.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 181 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jet Propulsion Laboratory](https://appshunter.io/developer/347075767) | [Mapbox, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/824340886) |

## What reviewers say

### Earth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earth-now/id494633346)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌍 Real-time Earth data visualization
- 👍 User-friendly interface and easy navigation
- 🎨 Beautiful and mesmerizing graphics
- 📊 Comprehensive satellite data from NASA/JPL
- 🆓 Free access to scientific information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes on older devices
- ⏳ Slow loading times on poor internet
- 🔍 Difficult to understand without scientific background
- 🗺️ Antarctica and polar regions blacked out/missing
- 📐 Zooming and scrolling too sensitive

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Celsius/Kelvin temperature unit options
- Satellite information (height, launch date)
- ISS tracking capability
- Ocean current visualization
- Ice sheet data layers


### 3D AR Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3d-ar-maps/id1356848556)

Explore location data and build games with 3D cityscapes and terrain in augmented reality. This app provides development starting points using the Mapbox Maps SDK for Unity.

**Highlights:** 3D city and terrain previews, Tabletop AR map building blocks, Location-based game examples, Augmented reality integration, Mapbox Maps SDK for Unity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Earth free?

Earth is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is 3D AR Maps free?

3D AR Maps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Earth or 3D AR Maps?

3D AR Maps is rated higher. Earth averages 4.6 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while 3D AR Maps averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Earth or 3D AR Maps have ads?

Neither Earth nor 3D AR Maps shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Earth or 3D AR Maps?

Earth ships an update every 4 months, and 3D AR Maps weekly. Most recently, Earth was updated on October 20, 2026 and 3D AR Maps on October 1, 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.*