Earthlapse vs EarthPi
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Interactive Earth views from ISS
- Live HDEV feed from Space Station
- Ambient space soundtracks
- Worldwide weather integration
- Clock display
- AirPlay support
Read full descriptionHide 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.)
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.
- 27 Earth projections
- Smooth projection transitions
- Time control for sunlight simulation
- Celestial tracking (sun and moon)
- Screenshot functionality
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. EarthPi sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Earthlapse asks for nothing beyond the download.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Earthlapse | EarthPi |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (25 ratings) | 4.5 (15 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 70.9% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 25 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 539 MB | 116 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jetson Creative LLC | Othman Alzahrani |
Customer experience
Earthlapse
EarthPi
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 moreShow fewer
- 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 moreShow fewer
- 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
Earthlapse
No in-app purchases
EarthPi
- EarthPi Premium$3.99
Questions
Is Earthlapse free?
Is EarthPi free?
Which has better reviews, Earthlapse or EarthPi?
Do Earthlapse or EarthPi have ads?
Which is updated more often, Earthlapse or EarthPi?
Other comparisons















