# Midnight Planets vs Pocket PlanetARium

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Midnight Planets at none against Pocket PlanetARium's 1. Midnight Planets also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pocket PlanetARium sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Midnight Planets asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Midnight Planets against 4.6 for Pocket PlanetARium. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 134 and 64 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Midnight Planets's written reviews are positive against 94% of Pocket PlanetARium's.

Midnight Planets ships an update every 3 weeks, Pocket PlanetARium monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Midnight Planets | Pocket PlanetARium |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (134 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/midnight-planets/id556474529/reviews) | **[4.6 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-planetarium-explore-ar/id1532774983/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **134** | 64 |
| Positive reviews | 90.8% of reviews | **93.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 15 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Midnight Martian](https://appshunter.io/developer/284473660) | [5Play Apps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1342100905) |

## What reviewers say

### Midnight Planets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/midnight-planets/id556474529)

Explore Mars through the eyes of NASA rovers. View panoramic images and experience them in 3D. This app visualizes planetary exploration using real spacecraft data.

**Highlights:** Explore Mars imagery, View panoramic context, 3D viewing options, Curiosity, Spirit, Opportunity rover data, Spacecraft image visualization

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Immersive exploration of Mars
- 👍 Easy to navigate and use
- 💡 Access to high-resolution images
- ✨ Realistic and detailed views
- 🔭 Great for space enthusiasts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App not updating with new rovers (Perseverance)
- 🐛 App stopped updating images (Curiosity)
- 🐛 Loading is very slow
- 🐛 Definition is horrible
- 🐛 Not working after update

**Reported bugs**

- Perseverance rover not included
- Curiosity rover images stopped updating
- Slow loading times
- Horrible definition/resolution
- App not working after updates

**Requested features**

- Add Perseverance rover information
- Update with new rover information
- Restore latest Curiosity images
- Add Google Cardboard support
- Add a satellite (MRO) overhead view with tracking


### Pocket PlanetARium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-planetarium-explore-ar/id1532774983)

Explore the cosmos in augmented reality, bringing the universe to life in your surroundings. Walk around and zoom in on planets, experiencing the solar system in 3D with interactive controls and fascinating facts.

**Highlights:** Immersive AR experience, Interactive controls, Fascinating space facts, 3D solar system exploration, Adjustable planet scale

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Midnight Planets free?

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

### Is Pocket PlanetARium free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Midnight Planets or Pocket PlanetARium?

Pocket PlanetARium is rated higher. Midnight Planets averages 4.5 out of 5 from 134 ratings, while Pocket PlanetARium averages 4.6 from 64 ratings.

### Do Midnight Planets or Pocket PlanetARium have ads?

Pocket PlanetARium shows ads; Midnight Planets does not.

### Which is updated more often, Midnight Planets or Pocket PlanetARium?

Midnight Planets ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pocket PlanetARium monthly. Most recently, Midnight Planets was updated on October 20, 2026 and Pocket PlanetARium on October 24, 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.*