# Celestial Dances vs Celestia

The clearest difference is rating: Celestia at 4.4 against Celestial Dances's 3.0. Celestia also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 30 months) and ratings volume (331 vs 2). Celestial Dances's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (100% vs 79%). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Celestia sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Celestial Dances asks for nothing beyond the download.

Celestia holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Celestia has 331 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Celestial Dances's written reviews are positive against 79% of Celestia's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Celestial Dances ships an update every 30 months, Celestia every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestial Dances | Celestia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestial-dances/id601885290/reviews) | **[4.4 (331 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **331** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 79.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 30 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 16 MB | 545 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Bretl](https://appshunter.io/developer/553850818) | [林峰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1186547508) |

## What reviewers say

### Celestial Dances

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestial-dances/id601885290)

Explore the orbital mechanics of planets, moons, and exoplanets. This app visualizes celestial movements based on concepts from "A Little Book of Coincidence." Discover intriguing patterns and relationships within our solar system and beyond.

**Highlights:** Explore solar system planet motions, Visualize moon orbits, Discover exoplanet systems, Based on 'A Little Book of Coincidence', Highlights Earth-Venus relationship

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Celestia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829)

Explore the universe in real-time 3D. Visit planets, moons, star clusters, and galaxies, viewing them from any point in space and time. Customize your experience with expandable content and detailed simulations.

**Highlights:** Real-time 3D space visualization, Explore planets, moons, stars, galaxies, Accurate solar system object positions, Interactive planetarium mode, Expandable content with add-ons, Customizable celestial databases

**Features:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Celestia PLUS (Weekly) | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Celestia PLUS (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Celestia PLUS (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| Celestia PLUS (Lifetime) | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Realistic space simulation
- 🌌 Ability to explore galaxies and star systems
- 🔍 Detailed planet and moon textures
- 📷 Great for taking screenshots
- 🤖 Reminds users of Space Engine

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🌌 Limited exploration beyond Milky Way and Andromeda
- 🌍 Flat terrain on planets
- 🔍 Lack of detail on some celestial objects
- 🔒 Paywall for some features

**Reported bugs**

- Milky Way and other galaxy textures not loading properly
- Crashes when using certain add-ons
- Issues with planet and moon orbits not being accurate

**Requested features**

- Add more exoplanets and distant star systems
- Implement terrain generation for planets
- Expand to include more galaxies and the overall universe structure
- Add support for black holes, pulsars, and other exotic objects
- Improve controls and camera movement


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Celestial Dances free?

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

### Is Celestia free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Celestial Dances or Celestia?

Celestia is rated higher. Celestial Dances averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Celestia averages 4.4 from 331 ratings.

### Do Celestial Dances or Celestia have ads?

Neither Celestial Dances nor Celestia shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Celestial Dances or Celestia?

Celestial Dances ships an update every 30 months, and Celestia every 2 weeks. Most recently, Celestial Dances was updated on October 3, 2026 and Celestia on October 13, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*