# Blue Marble vs Holiday Explained

Blue Marble and Holiday Explained are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Blue Marble | Holiday Explained |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blue-marble-satellite-widget/id6443507902/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 2 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Detinu Industries LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1140007876) | [Epic Genius LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1193070219) |

## What reviewers say

### Blue Marble

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blue-marble-satellite-widget/id6443507902)

View near real-time satellite images of Earth directly on your home screen. This widget displays beautiful, up-to-date visuals of our planet, allowing you to observe daily changes. It also integrates with Shortcuts for custom automations.

**Highlights:** Near real-time satellite imagery, Home screen widget, Observe daily planet changes, Supports Shortcuts integration, Inspiration from macOS app

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Holiday Explained

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holiday-explained/id6759066703)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Blue Marble free?

Blue Marble is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Holiday Explained free?

Holiday Explained is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Blue Marble or Holiday Explained have ads?

Neither Blue Marble nor Holiday Explained shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Blue Marble or Holiday Explained?

Blue Marble ships an update every 6 months, and Holiday Explained every 6 months. Most recently, Blue Marble was updated on October 9, 2026 and Holiday Explained on October 25, 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.*