OptiUniverse vs COSMOS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
OptiUniverse
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Explore the Solar System in 3D on your iPhone. Get close to Saturn's rings, discover Jupiter's cloud bands, inspect Earth, and choose a space mission to replay. OptiUniverse brings planets, moons, and spacecraft journeys together in an interactive universe built for curiosity. Browse celestial destinations, move freely around each world, and learn through detailed visuals and concise science facts. EXPLORE PLANETS AND ORBITS - Discover planets, moons, and distant worlds with detailed 3D materials, atmospheres, and rings. - Pan, pinch, and rotate to find your own perspective, or follow a celestial object. - Read object facts and orbital information in panels that adapt to the available space. - Preview supported transfer routes and follow navigation progress in the top bar. - Explore a solar-system simulation synchronized to the current date using offline planetary ephemerides. MADE FOR IPHONE DUO - Explore on the outer and inner displays, in portrait and landscape. - Browse a mission carousel on compact screens or multiple mission cards and a destination grid on wider screens. - Keep exploring as the layout changes, with native navigation controls and a scene that extends to the screen edges. REPLAY SPACE MISSIONS - Follow Voyager 1 from launch through its Jupiter and Saturn flybys to its journey beyond the heliosphere. - Watch Crew 13 travel from Earth to docking with the International Space Station. - Explore Artemis II's Earth-Moon-Earth journey and Starship Flight 14's launch, deployment, and return. - See mission status in the navigation bar and simulation time alongside the scene controls. Mission replays are compressed, illustrative visualizations. Spacecraft sizes, trajectories, and timing are adapted for clarity; they are not live spacecraft tracking or telemetry reconstructions. From a quick look at a favorite planet to a journey through spaceflight history, OptiUniverse makes space something you can explore.
COSMOS
Explore a real-time 3D model of the solar system with accurate planetary positions and photo-realistic textures. Control time to view past or future celestial events and learn about planets and moons. This app is free and works offline.
- Real-time planetary orbits
- Photo-realistic textures
- Time control for past/future viewing
- Free and offline functionality
- Detailed planet information
- Exploration via pinch and swipe
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COSMOS is a solar system you hold in your hand. This is not a decoration. Every planet sits exactly where it is right now, computed from real orbital mechanics. Where is Jupiter tonight? How are Saturn's rings tilted? Open the app — the answer is there. - REAL ORBITS Positions of all 8 planets and the Moon are computed from Keplerian orbital elements in real time. Scrub through time to see the sky 10 years from now — or the day you were born. - PHOTO-REAL TEXTURES Saturn's rings, Jupiter's Great Red Spot, sunspots and solar granulation — every texture is generated on your device and stays crisp as you zoom. - CONTROL TIME From one second = hours, to one second = years. Watch the Moon change phase and the planets trace their orbits with your own eyes. - EXPLORE FREELY Pinch and swipe from outside the solar system down to a planet's face. Tap any body for details. - FREE FOR EVERYONE - Every feature is free — nothing locked behind a paywall - Just a small banner ad, never covering the view - Works offline, on a plane or on a mountain - Enjoying COSMOS? Leave an optional tip to support development For curious kids asking "why?" For stargazers who want a quiet moment of awe. The real universe, in your pocket. LANGUAGES English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Spanish, French, German
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OptiUniverse at none against COSMOS's 3. COSMOS's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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
Both are free to download. COSMOS sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. OptiUniverse asks for nothing beyond the download.
OptiUniverse ships an update every 10 days, COSMOS every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | OptiUniverse | COSMOS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 421 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Maksim Doroshenko | yuudai tasaki |
In-app purchases
OptiUniverse
No in-app purchases
COSMOS
- Support the Developer$1.99
- Support the Developer$4.99
- Support the Developer$9.99








