Comparison

Zenith vs OrbitSmith

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Zenith

Explore Earth in a 3D simulation and track the International Space Station's real-time orbit. Experience a rotating planet with dynamic soundscapes and see the current number of astronauts on board.

Highlights
  • 3D Earth simulation
  • Real-time ISS orbit tracking
  • Live astronaut count
  • Dynamic soundscapes
  • Earth rotation view
Features
Read full description

Zenith shows the International Space Station live on a 3D globe, and tells you when to see it with your own eyes. • Live position, altitude, speed, day or night — updated every 5 seconds • The camera follows the station; spin the Earth with a finger • Upcoming visible passes over you: time, direction, height • A free alert before the best pass of the week • The crew on board: photos, agencies, days in orbit • Ambient space soundscape ZENITH+ • An alert before every visible pass • Full 10-day forecast • Choose your alert time: 2, 5, 10 or 15 minutes • Predicted orbit on the globe Zenith+ is available as a monthly or yearly subscription (7-day free trial on yearly), or as a one-time lifetime purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period; manage them in Settings › Apple ID › Subscriptions. Your location stays on your iPhone. No ads. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

OrbitSmith

Features
Read full description

OrbitSmith is a free, open-source space situational awareness toolkit that puts the orbital environment at your fingertips. REAL-TIME 3D TRACKER Visualize 30,000+ objects orbiting Earth — active satellites, rocket bodies, and debris — rendered in real-time 3D with Blue Marble Earth textures. Tap any object to see its orbital details, search by name or NORAD ID, and track conjunction events from Space-Track CDM data. VISIBLE PASS PREDICTIONS Know exactly when to look up. OrbitSmith predicts visible passes of ISS, Tiangong, Starlink, and hundreds of bright satellites using SGP4 orbital propagation with real TLE data. Interactive sky charts with 44 reference stars help you find the satellite in the sky. NOTIFICATIONS & WIDGETS Never miss a bright pass. Receive push notifications before ISS and other satellites become visible, and check your next pass at a glance with lock screen and home screen widgets. MISSION DESIGNER Design satellite missions with a 5-step wizard. Choose from 7 mission templates, configure orbital parameters, run power/link/thermal/mass/orbit decay analysis, and find compatible launch vehicles from a database of 10 rockets. SATELLITE IMAGERY Browse 21 layers of satellite imagery from NASA, ESA, and ESRI — including MODIS true color, VIIRS night lights, sea surface temperature, vegetation health, and Sentinel-2 cloudless. All orbital data sourced from the U.S. Space Force via Space-Track.org.

Screenshots

Zenith4 screens
OrbitSmith4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: OrbitSmith at every 3 weeks against Zenith's every 13 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zenith ships an update every 13 months, OrbitSmith every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Zenith versus OrbitSmith: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZenithOrbitSmith
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAurelien GrifasiSeita Iizuka

In-app purchases

None

Zenith

No in-app purchases

None

OrbitSmith

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Zenith free?
Zenith is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OrbitSmith free?
OrbitSmith is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Zenith or OrbitSmith have ads?
Neither Zenith nor OrbitSmith shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Zenith or OrbitSmith?
Zenith ships an update every 13 months, and OrbitSmith every 3 weeks. Most recently, Zenith was updated on October 24, 2026 and OrbitSmith on October 25, 2026.

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