Heliosphere vs 3D Star Map
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Heliosphere
Explore a real-time 3D simulation of the solar system, planets, moons, and spacecraft using accurate astronomical data. Learn about celestial bodies and space missions with educational content and quizzes.
- Real-time 3D solar system simulation
- Live spacecraft tracking
- Deep sky exploration
- Comprehensive astronomy education
- Time travel from 1900 to 2100
- Planet-centric viewing mode
Read full descriptionHide full description
Explore the solar system at your fingertips. Heliosphere is a real-time 3D solar system simulation powered by NASA JPL Horizons data. It accurately recreates the orbits of planets, moons, comets, and dwarf planets while tracking the real positions of active spacecraft. * Real-time 3D Solar System Simulation — 8 planets, 5 dwarf planets, 10+ moons, and 4 comets — Precise Keplerian orbit calculations based on real astronomical data — Time travel from 1900 to 2100 — Pan, zoom, and rotate for a free-roaming perspective — Switch to planet-centric viewing mode * Live Spacecraft Tracking — Voyager 1, 2 | Pioneer 10, 11 — Cassini | Juno | New Horizons | Parker Solar Probe — Real position data from NASA JPL Horizons API * Deep Sky Exploration — Over 150 bright stars — 530 Milky Way stars — 124 deep-sky objects (Messier, NGC/IC catalogs) * Comprehensive Astronomy Education — 6 difficulty levels from middle school to graduate — Core concepts: Kepler's Laws, gravity, escape velocity, and more — Mission timelines for Voyager, Cassini, New Horizons, and others — 60+ quiz questions to test your knowledge — Historical space event date-guessing challenges * Free for Everyone — All content available at no cost — No ads — 11 languages supported Experience the beauty of the cosmos and the wonder of science through scientifically accurate data and intuitive interaction.
3D Star Map
Explore over 700 stars in our local star cluster in a 3D space simulation. Zoom, rotate, and learn about neighboring star systems with detailed information available on tap. Perfect for research or satisfying cosmic curiosity.
- 3D space exploration
- Over 700 local stars
- Detailed star information
- Zoom, rotate, and move
- Relaxing animations
- Educational content
Read full descriptionHide full description
Explore the local cluster with over 700 stars around our Sun! Zoom, rotate, and move through the 3D space surrounding our solar system, and learn about our neighboring star systems. Tap on a star for detailed information about it, or just wander through space with beautiful and relaxing animations. Whether you're using it for research or just to feed your insatiable curiosity, the 3D Star Map is here to help you learn more about our place in the universe!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: 3D Star Map at 100% against Heliosphere's 50%. 3D Star Map also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). Heliosphere's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, monetization model 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. Heliosphere sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. 3D Star Map asks for nothing beyond the download.
3D Star Map holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 3D Star Map has 10 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Heliosphere's written reviews are positive against 100% of 3D Star Map's.
Heliosphere ships an update every 3 days, 3D Star Map every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Heliosphere | 3D Star Map |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) | 4.5 (10 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 10 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 100 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | CHUNGKIL KIM | Alexander Winn |
Customer experience
Heliosphere
3D Star Map
In-app purchases
Heliosphere
- 1 Coffee$2.99
- 3 Coffees$8.99
- 5 Coffees$14.99
3D Star Map
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Heliosphere free?
Is 3D Star Map free?
Which has better reviews, Heliosphere or 3D Star Map?
Do Heliosphere or 3D Star Map have ads?
Which is updated more often, Heliosphere or 3D Star Map?
Other comparisons















