# EarthViewer vs GlobeViewer

The clearest difference is review sentiment: EarthViewer at 83% against GlobeViewer's 33%. EarthViewer also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 11). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

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

EarthViewer holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: EarthViewer has 101 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of EarthViewer's written reviews are positive against 33% of GlobeViewer's.

EarthViewer ships an update every 2 months, GlobeViewer every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 10, 2026 and August 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | EarthViewer | GlobeViewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (101 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earthviewer/id590208430/reviews)** | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/globeviewer/id1394087613/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **101** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **83.1% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 108 MB | 236 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.3** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Howard Hughes Medical Institute](https://appshunter.io/developer/411540290) | [RAB-Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/543575684) |

## What reviewers say

### EarthViewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earthviewer/id590208430)

Explore Earth's 4.5 billion-year history with this interactive time machine. See how continents, oceans, and climate have changed over eons, track landmarks and fossils, and visualize scientific data like temperature and biodiversity. Discover the dynamic evolution of our planet.

**Highlights:** Continental reconstructions over billions of years, Sea level and temperature maps, Track landmark and fossil movements, Visualize atmospheric composition and biodiversity, Explore geological eons, eras, and periods, Automated play modes and animations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌍 Comprehensive geological history visualization from 4.6 billion years ago to present
- 📚 Excellent educational resource for teachers and students
- 🎨 Beautiful and intuitive interface design
- 🆓 Free app with extensive features and data
- 🔄 Smooth continental drift animation and timeline controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Cannot exit app without force-closing or restarting device
- 🐛 App freezes when switching between map projections
- 📱 Not optimized for newer iOS versions
- 🌏 Australia appears incorrectly in ancient Earth viewer
- 🔲 Grid coordinates (lat/lon) not displaying properly

**Reported bugs**

- App cannot be closed normally - requires force quit or device restart
- App freezes when switching from flat map to globe view
- Australia appears in incorrect locations in ancient Earth viewer
- Grid coordinates (latitude/longitude) not displaying
- Globe transparency and image distortion on iPad

**Requested features**

- Add Pangea Proxima/Pangea Ultima supercontinent visualization
- Add Kenorland supercontinent (2500 Mya)
- Include future Earth continental drift predictions (0-250 million years)
- Add Pleistocene ice age details with smaller time increments
- Include ground-level view of Earth with animals and landscapes


### 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 EarthViewer free?

EarthViewer 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, EarthViewer or GlobeViewer?

EarthViewer is rated higher. EarthViewer averages 4.4 out of 5 from 101 ratings, while GlobeViewer averages 3.4 from 5 ratings.

### Do EarthViewer or GlobeViewer have ads?

GlobeViewer shows ads; EarthViewer does not.

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

EarthViewer ships an update every 2 months, and GlobeViewer every 6 weeks. Most recently, EarthViewer was updated on July 10, 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.*