# Earth vs GlobeViewer

The clearest difference is rating: Earth at 4.6 against GlobeViewer's 3.4. Earth also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 33%) and in-app purchases (none vs 11). GlobeViewer's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. GlobeViewer sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Earth asks for nothing beyond the download.

Earth holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Earth has 42 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Earth's written reviews are positive against 33% of GlobeViewer's.

Earth ships an update every 4 months, GlobeViewer every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 5, 2026 and August 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Earth | GlobeViewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earth-now/id494633346/reviews)** | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/globeviewer/id1394087613/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **42** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **73.7% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 181 MB | 236 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jet Propulsion Laboratory](https://appshunter.io/developer/347075767) | [RAB-Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/543575684) |

## 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


### GlobeViewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/globeviewer/id1394087613)

Explore Earth with a high-resolution 3D globe and topography maps. View surface, underwater, and topographical details, with real-time event overlays. Access extensive geographical data for offline use.

**Highlights:** Interactive 3D globe, High-resolution topography maps, Surface and underwater views, Real-time event overlays, Offline data caching, Extensive place names and geographical features

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 4K & Polar Regions | $0.99 | one-time |
| 4K & South America | $2.99 | one-time |
| 4K & Pacific | $2.99 | one-time |
| 4K & Japan/Korea/Taiwan | $2.99 | one-time |
| 8K & North America | $4.99 | one-time |
| 8K & Australia | $4.99 | one-time |
| 8K & China | $4.99 | one-time |
| 8K & Russia | $4.99 | one-time |
| 8K & Europe | $4.99 | one-time |
| 8K Pass | $8.99 | one-time |
| Professional Version | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Earth free?

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

### Is GlobeViewer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Earth or GlobeViewer?

Earth is rated higher. Earth averages 4.6 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while GlobeViewer averages 3.4 from 5 ratings.

### Do Earth or GlobeViewer have ads?

GlobeViewer shows ads; Earth does not.

### Which is updated more often, Earth or GlobeViewer?

Earth ships an update every 4 months, and GlobeViewer every 6 weeks. Most recently, Earth was updated on September 5, 2026 and GlobeViewer on August 14, 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.*