Comparison

3D Star Map vs Vision Satellites

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 3D space exploration
  • Over 700 local stars
  • Detailed star information
  • Zoom, rotate, and move
  • Relaxing animations
  • Educational content
Features
Read 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!

About

Vision Satellites

Read full description

Vision Satellites brings Earth’s orbit into your space. Explore an interactive 3D globe surrounded by thousands of satellites orbiting Earth in real time. Every position is propagated from current orbital data, so what you see tracks reality as closely as possible — Starlink, OneWeb, the ISS, weather and Earth-observation satellites, rocket bodies, and more. With Ground View you can look up from your own location and see what is passing above you right now. And with built-in pass alerts you pick any place, choose a satellite, and get notified the moment it climbs high into your sky — search any city or use your current location, set how high it must rise, mute alerts when you want, and limit them to certain hours. Mark your favorites to keep them one tap away. Filter by satellite type, orbit, the geostationary television fleet, or just your favorites. Tap any satellite for its live details — altitude, speed, orbital period, inclination, ground point, and the next time it flies over you — and switch on an orbit path to see exactly where it is headed. Follow upcoming rocket launches from NASA, SpaceX and other providers, each with its rocket, launch site, schedule and a live countdown. Open a launch for the full briefing — and explore a detailed 3D model of the rocket you can spin, take full screen, or place in your room in AR. Home Screen and desktop widgets bring it all outside the app: your favorites with live position and next pass, what is overhead right now for a location you choose, or a single satellite of your choice. The app is made for anyone interested in spaceflight, satellite technology, astronomy, Earth observation, or beautiful spatial visualizations. Available for Apple Vision Pro, iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Features: * Interactive real-time 3D Earth with thousands of satellites * Immersive spatial experience on Apple Vision Pro * Ground View showing satellites above your current location * Pass alerts when a satellite flies high over any location * Favorites, plus filters by type, orbit, geostationary TV, and more * Per-satellite details: altitude, speed, period, inclination, ground point, next pass * Orbit path visualization * Upcoming rocket launches with live countdown, full details, and a 3D model of each rocket (viewable in AR) * Home Screen and desktop widgets: favorites, overhead now, and single satellite * Realistic SGP4 orbit propagation * Compatible with Apple Vision Pro, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Vision Satellites makes the invisible visible: the orbital infrastructure that connects, observes, and supports our modern world.

Screenshots

3D Star Map4 screens
Vision Satellites4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: 3D Star Map at Free against Vision Satellites's $1.99. 3D Star Map also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). Vision Satellites's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On 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

3D Star Map is free to download; Vision Satellites costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

3D Star Map ships an update every 2 weeks, Vision Satellites every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
3D Star Map versus Vision Satellites: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter3D Star MapVision Satellites
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.4 (9 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings9 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size100 MB112 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander WinnMarcel Wlotzka

In-app purchases

None

3D Star Map

No in-app purchases

None

Vision Satellites

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 3D Star Map free?
3D Star Map is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Vision Satellites free?
Vision Satellites costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do 3D Star Map or Vision Satellites have ads?
Neither 3D Star Map nor Vision Satellites shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 3D Star Map or Vision Satellites?
3D Star Map ships an update every 2 weeks, and Vision Satellites every 4 days. Most recently, 3D Star Map was updated on October 18, 2026 and Vision Satellites on October 4, 2026.

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