Comparison

EPIC vs Deep Sky Scanner

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Read full description

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.

About

Deep Sky Scanner

Features
Read full description

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

EPIC4 screens
Deep Sky Scanner3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. EPIC sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Deep Sky Scanner asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
EPIC versus Deep Sky Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEPICDeep Sky Scanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWilliam KeeneChris Eddy

In-app purchases

1 purchases

EPIC

One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$4.99
None

Deep Sky Scanner

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is EPIC free?
EPIC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Deep Sky Scanner free?
Deep Sky Scanner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do EPIC or Deep Sky Scanner have ads?
Neither EPIC nor Deep Sky Scanner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, EPIC or Deep Sky Scanner?
EPIC ships an update monthly, and Deep Sky Scanner every 3 days. Most recently, EPIC was updated on October 9, 2026 and Deep Sky Scanner on October 7, 2026.

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