Comparison

Earthlapse vs EarthPi

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

Head to head
About

Earthlapse

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
Read full description

Turn your iPad or iPhone into a window aboard the International Space Station. Experience stunning views of Earth captured by NASA astronauts. Touch the views and control the planet with your finger. A truly amazing one-of-a-kind experience. The app comes complete with seven beautiful interactive views of earth as well as access to the HDEV live view showing Earth live from the Space Station. In addition the app includes 8 relaxing ambient space soundtracks, a clock, and worldwide weather from Weather Underground. Please note that the ISS HDEV live feed is often off-line or otherwise unavailable. Even when on-line, the live view often shows black as the ISS is regularly on the dark side of Earth. Support for AirPlay on the iPad (4th gen, 3rd gen, and iPad 2), iPhone 5, and iPhone 4S. See display options in app for instructions on how to enable. Images courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. Created by the makers of Magic Window. For more beautiful views check out Magic Window on iPad, iPhone, Mac, and Apple TV. Earthlapse TV is also available on Apple TV (sold separately.)

About

EarthPi

Explore Earth with 27 interactive map projections. Visualize the planet from different angles, adjust time to see sunlight, and track celestial bodies. Save your discoveries with screenshot functionality.

Highlights
  • 27 Earth projections
  • Smooth projection transitions
  • Time control for sunlight simulation
  • Celestial tracking (sun and moon)
  • Screenshot functionality
Features
Read full description

EarthPi is a unique app designed to provide users with a detailed and interactive way to explore Earth through various map projections. With 27 distinct Earth projections, the app allows users to study and visualize the planet from multiple perspectives. Key Features: - 27 Earth Projections: Choose from a variety of Earth's map projections. - Smooth Projection Transitions: Switch between projections seamlessly with fluid animations and learn how each map projection works. - Time Control: Adjust the time to observe the dynamic interaction of sunlight with Earth’s surface across all projections. - Celestial Tracking: View the real-time positions of the sun and moon based on the selected time. - Screenshot Functionality: Capture and save images of any map projection. Future Development: The developer is dedicated to expanding EarthPi’s capabilities, with plans to introduce additional projections, features, and improvements.

Screenshots

Earthlapse4 screens
EarthPi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Earthlapse at none against EarthPi's 1. Earthlapse also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). EarthPi's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.1) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 12 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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. EarthPi sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Earthlapse asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

EarthPi holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25 and 15 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of Earthlapse's written reviews are positive against 67% of EarthPi's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Earthlapse ships an update every 12 months, EarthPi every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Earthlapse versus EarthPi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEarthlapseEarthPi
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (25 ratings)4.5 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.9% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings25 — better15
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size539 MB116 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJetson Creative LLCOthman Alzahrani

Customer experience

Earthlapse

All ratings25 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews127 reviews
Positive70.9%
Neutral10.2%
Negative18.9%

EarthPi

All ratings14 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

Earthlapse

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • 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
Show 2 more
  • Compatibility issues with older iOS versions
  • Incompatible with original iPad devices

Requested features

15 requests
  • 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
Show 10 more
  • Include 24-hour time format option
  • Add space station position overlay on live view
  • Enable AirPlay for live view feature
  • Create longer loops showing full orbital views
  • Add interactive elements like robotic arm control
  • Include sunrise/sunset and weather event views
  • Provide educational information about locations
  • Make app universal across all Apple devices
  • Add zoom functionality
  • Include different viewing angles and perspectives

EarthPi

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Earthlapse

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

EarthPi

One-time1
  • EarthPi Premium$3.99

Questions

Is Earthlapse free?
Earthlapse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is EarthPi free?
EarthPi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Earthlapse or EarthPi?
EarthPi is rated higher. Earthlapse averages 4.1 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while EarthPi averages 4.5 from 15 ratings.
Do Earthlapse or EarthPi have ads?
Neither Earthlapse nor EarthPi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Earthlapse or EarthPi?
Earthlapse ships an update every 12 months, and EarthPi every 3 months. Most recently, Earthlapse was updated on October 22, 2026 and EarthPi on October 24, 2026.

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