Cosmos Next vs Deep Sky Scanner
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cosmos Next
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Cosmos — Your Personal Space Explorer The universe is vast, mysterious, and breathtakingly beautiful. Cosmos brings it all to your fingertips — from the stars above your head to the farthest reaches of space — with stunning visuals, immersive AR experiences, and intelligent tools designed for everyone from curious beginners to passionate stargazers. Augmented Reality Sky Exploration Point your device at the night sky and watch the universe reveal itself. Cosmos uses AR technology to overlay real-time constellation maps, star labels, and planet positions right on your camera view. Identify stars, trace constellations, and explore celestial objects just by looking up. Planet & Cosmic Object Deep Dives Travel through the solar system and beyond. Explore detailed profiles of planets, moons, stars, nebulae, and black holes. Stunning visuals and curated facts make every object a journey of discovery. Interactive Universe Map Navigate an interactive, zoomable map of the universe. From our solar system to distant galaxies, explore cosmic structures at every scale — beautifully rendered and easy to explore. AR Constellation & Night Sky Viewer Experience the night sky like never before. Cosmos overlays constellation art and star data on your live camera feed, making it easy to find and learn about star patterns from anywhere in the world — even in a city. Ask Cosmos — AI-Powered Space Assistant Have a question about the universe? Ask Cosmos. Our built-in AI assistant answers your space questions instantly — from "How big is a neutron star?" to "What is dark matter?" — making learning feel like a conversation. Space Events Calendar Never miss a meteor shower, eclipse, planetary alignment, or rocket launch again. Cosmos keeps you up to date with upcoming space events so you're always ready to look up at the right moment. Observation Log Keep a personal record of your stargazing sessions. Log your observations, add notes, track what you've seen, and build your cosmic journey over time. Cosmic Calculator Crunch the numbers of the universe. Calculate light-travel time between stars, escape velocities, orbital periods, and more with our built-in cosmic calculator. Daily Quiz & Learning Hub Test and grow your space knowledge with daily quizzes and an ever-expanding learn tab. Dive into physics laws, cosmic phenomena, and astronomical concepts made simple and engaging. Simulations & Visualizations Watch the cosmos in motion. Cosmos features interactive simulations of orbital mechanics, stellar lifecycles, and cosmic events — bringing science to life in a way textbooks never could. Favorites & Search Save your favorite cosmic objects, articles, and discoveries. Quickly search across the entire Cosmos library to find exactly what you're looking for. Achievements & Progress Earn achievements as you explore, learn, and discover. Track your progress through the knowledge dashboard and unlock rewards for your cosmic curiosity. Whether you're lying on the grass watching the stars, studying for an astronomy class, or simply curious about our place in the universe — Cosmos is the companion you've been waiting for. The universe is calling. Start exploring.
Deep Sky Scanner
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Point your phone at the sky and know instantly what’s worth imaging. Deep Sky Scanner turns your device into an aiming tool for the Seestar S50, scanning your field of view and ranking every galaxy, cluster, and nebula by altitude, brightness, and how well it’ll actually fit your frame. No more guessing what’s up, no star-hopping, no wasted setup time on a target that’s too big or too faint for tonight’s sky. FEATURES • Live sky scan — see every object in view as you move your phone, tracked with full 3D orientation for steady accuracy even near the zenith • Ranked target lists — sorted by altitude trajectory, brightness, or best overall fit for your Seestar S50 • Frame-fit scoring — know before you start whether an object will actually fit the frame, not spill past the edges • Ascending/descending badges — see whether a target is climbing toward better altitude or already past its peak • Planning mode — drag the time slider to preview the sky at any hour and plan your session in advance • Per-object imaging notes — integration-time guidance by magnitude, edge-on galaxy detection, and nearby-companion flags • Full OpenNGC catalog with offline fallback — works even without a signal • Additional catalogs are available and can be optionally selected on the settings page • Supports the Seestar family of telescopes Built by a Seestar owner, for Seestar owners.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Deep Sky Scanner at every 3 days against Cosmos Next's every 3 months. Cosmos Next's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Cosmos Next ships an update every 3 months, Deep Sky Scanner every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cosmos Next | Deep Sky Scanner |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Archana Pant | Chris Eddy |
In-app purchases
Cosmos Next
No in-app purchases
Deep Sky Scanner
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cosmos Next free?
Is Deep Sky Scanner free?
Do Cosmos Next or Deep Sky Scanner have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cosmos Next or Deep Sky Scanner?
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