# Earthlapse vs ISS Explorer

The clearest difference is rating: ISS Explorer at 4.9 against Earthlapse's 4.1. ISS Explorer also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 71%). Earthlapse's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

ISS Explorer holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25 and 16 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Earthlapse's written reviews are positive against 100% of ISS Explorer's.

Earthlapse ships an update every 12 months, ISS Explorer every 10 months. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Earthlapse | ISS Explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earthlapse/id522003167/reviews) | **[4.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iss-explorer/id1429876038/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **25** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | 70.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Every 10 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 539 MB | 747 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jetson Creative LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/295445438) | [NASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/355542146) |

## What reviewers say

### Earthlapse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earthlapse/id522003167)

Transform your device into a window on the International Space Station. Explore breathtaking, interactive views of Earth captured by astronauts. Enjoy ambient soundtracks, a clock, and live weather data for a unique and immersive experience.

**Highlights:** Interactive Earth views from ISS, Live HDEV feed from Space Station, Ambient space soundtracks, Worldwide weather integration, Clock display, AirPlay support

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌍 Stunning visual quality and beautiful Earth views from space
- 🎵 Excellent ambient space music that enhances experience
- 😌 Calming and relaxing atmosphere for stress relief
- 📺 Works well with AirPlay and TV display
- 🎨 Elegant design and well-coded interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💾 Massive file size (500-609MB) consumes excessive storage
- 🐢 Very slow download times
- 🔄 Limited content with repetitive looping videos
- 📹 Low image quality and blurriness on some devices
- ❌ No real-time live feed from space station

**Reported bugs**

- Weather forecast showing blank space
- App not working properly on iPad and iPhone
- Live view feature not functioning
- Blurred image quality on Apple TV
- Frame rate issues causing poor performance

**Requested features**

- Add more video content and scenes
- Implement real-time or live streaming from ISS
- Reduce file size through better compression
- Add Chromecast support
- Allow custom music selection


### ISS Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iss-explorer/id1429876038)

Explore a detailed 3D model of the International Space Station. Rotate, zoom, and select individual components to learn about their function and systems. Organize your view by turning parts and labels on or off.

**Highlights:** Interactive 3D ISS model, Rotate and zoom functionality, Selectable parts with isolation, Detailed information on components, Hierarchical part organization, Toggle parts and labels

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Earthlapse free?

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

### Is ISS Explorer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Earthlapse or ISS Explorer?

ISS Explorer is rated higher. Earthlapse averages 4.1 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while ISS Explorer averages 4.9 from 16 ratings.

### Do Earthlapse or ISS Explorer have ads?

Neither Earthlapse nor ISS Explorer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Earthlapse or ISS Explorer?

Earthlapse ships an update every 12 months, and ISS Explorer every 10 months. Most recently, Earthlapse was updated on October 13, 2026 and ISS Explorer on October 13, 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.*