Linux Simulator vs Orbit
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Linux Simulator
This app simulates a Linux terminal, allowing you to practice real commands and learn command-line operations. It includes guided lessons, a comprehensive course covering various Linux topics, and adaptive practice questions to reinforce learning. Gamified elements like daily goals and achievements encourage consistent use.
- Simulated Linux terminal with real commands
- Full virtual filesystem and shell features
- Guided hands-on lessons within the terminal
- Comprehensive course with 63 topics
- Adaptive practice questions with spaced repetition
- Gamified learning with goals, streaks, and achievements
- Offline access to all content
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A simulated Linux terminal in your pocket, wrapped in a lovingly built classic beige computer. Type real commands, get real output, and learn the command line properly: no account, no subscription, no internet required. THE SIMULATOR The heart of the app is a simulated shell running entirely on your device. It has a full virtual filesystem (/etc, /var/log, your own home directory), proper pipes and redirection, environment variables, tab completion, and command history. Over 40 real commands work the way they do on a real machine: ls, cd, cat, grep, find, sort, head, tail, wc, cut, tr, cp, mv, rm, mkdir, chmod-style permissions in listings, man pages for every command, and a working nano editor that saves back to the filesystem. Pipe grep through wc. Redirect echo into a file and cat it back. Break things, then type reset. It is completely safe: rm -rf / is a learning experience here, not a disaster. GUIDED LESSONS IN THE TERMINAL Five hands-on lessons run inside the real terminal, watching what you type and nudging you at each step, from your first pwd to pipes and redirection. Mistype a command and the simulator tells you what it thinks you meant. Commands we do not simulate, like sudo and apt, point you to the chapter that explains them. A COMPLETE COURSE 63 topics across four domains: the command line, system administration, programming tools, and modern Linux (containers, cloud, systemd). Each topic has an animated walkthrough you can replay, adaptive practice questions, and typing challenges where you enter real commands on a keyboard built for Linux (with a dedicated symbol row for | > ~ $ and friends). LEARNING THAT ADAPTS 630 practice questions tune themselves to your level: start easy, advance as you improve. Questions you miss come back at growing intervals using spaced repetition, so they stick. A recommended path guides you topic by topic, but nothing is ever locked: this is your machine. MAKE IT A HABIT Daily goals, streaks, XP, levels from Newbie to Root, and achievements to collect. A progress dashboard on a little phosphor status display shows exactly where you stand. PAY ONCE, OWN EVERYTHING No subscription. No in-app purchases. No ads. No account. No data collected. Every topic, question, challenge, and lesson is included offline. From the maker of textbookoflinux.com. Try the simulator for free in your browser, then take the full machine with you.
Orbit
Explore the cosmos with a real-time satellite tracker. Use augmented reality to view satellites, planets, and constellations in the sky. Discover over 15,000 objects and get AI-generated descriptions of their missions.
- Augmented reality sky view
- Real-time satellite tracking
- Catalog of 15,000+ objects
- AI-generated spacecraft descriptions
- Upcoming pass predictions
- Historical mission museum
- Space event calendar
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Orbit turns your iPhone and iPad into a real-time satellite tracker. Raise your camera toward the sky and watch satellites, planets, constellation lines, and debris appear through augmented reality. Browse a catalog of 15,000+ objects, get descriptions of any spacecraft, and never miss an ISS pass. SKY VIEW Point your phone at any part of the sky. Orbit overlays live satellite positions, planets, and constellation lines directly onto your camera. The ISS and Tiangong space station pulse with a live indicator so you never miss a crewed spacecraft. Edge arrows guide you toward objects just outside the frame. OVERHEAD See the closest satellites in real time, ranked by altitude. Each card shows orbital speed, altitude, and next visible pass time. Tap any satellite for full orbital data, upcoming passes, and an AI-generated description. AI DESCRIPTIONS Every satellite has an on-demand description powered by Gemini AI. Ask Orbit about any spacecraft's mission, operator, or history, right from the sky view or catalog detail page. PASS PREDICTIONS Never miss the ISS again. Orbit calculates upcoming visible passes for objects near you: start time, peak elevation, and direction. Step outside at exactly the right moment. CATALOG Browse 15,000+ active satellites, space stations, weather platforms, navigation constellations, and debris. Filter by category or country of origin. Search by name or NORAD ID. Sort by altitude, inclination, or launch date. MUSEUM Explore historically significant missions, from Sputnik 1 to the Hubble Space Telescope. SPACE EVENTS Curated upcoming launches, milestones, and astronomical events, updated regularly. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Orbit at Free against Linux Simulator's $9.99. Orbit also leads on ratings volume (6 vs 1). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Orbit is free to download; Linux Simulator costs $9.99 up front. Linux Simulator sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Orbit sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Linux Simulator holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Orbit has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Linux Simulator ships an update every 4 days, Orbit weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Linux Simulator | Orbit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.8 (6 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 34 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Christopher Paton | Lukas Nagy |
In-app purchases
Linux Simulator
- Monthly subscription$2.991 Month
- Annual subscription$19.991 Year
Orbit
- Orbit Pro Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Orbit Pro Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year









