EPIC vs Deep Sky Scanner
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
EPIC
Discover stunning daily images from NASA, including the Astronomy Picture of the Day, Mars rover photos, and views from Hubble and James Webb. Explore curated collections, search the NASA Image Library, and save your favorite space discoveries. Watch live NASA streams and engage with STEM activities for all ages.
- Daily Astronomy Picture of the Day
- Mars rover and Earth views
- Hubble and James Webb images
- Themed NASA mission collections
- Searchable NASA Image Library
- Save favorite images
- NASA live stream
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EPIC – NASA Explorer Explore the universe with NASA — every day. EPIC brings together the best public NASA media in one app: the daily Astronomy Picture of the Day, Mars rover photos, Hubble and James Webb images, Earth views from space, and curated NASA video collections. Browse, search, save favorites, and dive deeper into the missions that inspire us. TODAY Start each day with NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day — stunning images with clear explanations. EXPLORE Browse themed collections: Mars rovers, Apollo, Artemis, Hubble, James Webb, eclipses, launches, and more. Young Explorers adds NASA videos and STEM activities for curious minds of all ages. SEARCH Search the NASA Image Library and discover photos and videos across decades of space exploration. FAVORITES Save images you love and build your own space archive. NASA LIVE Watch NASA’s live stream when available. Built for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro — one app for daily inspiration and deep exploration.
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 in-app purchases: Deep Sky Scanner at none against EPIC's 1. Deep Sky Scanner also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, 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. EPIC sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Deep Sky Scanner asks for nothing beyond the download.
EPIC ships an update monthly, Deep Sky Scanner every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | EPIC | Deep Sky Scanner |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | William Keene | Chris Eddy |
In-app purchases
EPIC
- Lifetime Unlock$4.99
Deep Sky Scanner
No in-app purchases









