# Labscope Material vs Celestia

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Labscope Material at none against Celestia's 4. Labscope Material also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 79%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Celestia's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (331 vs 2). On price, rating and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Celestia sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Labscope Material asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Labscope Material against 4.4 for Celestia. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Celestia has 331 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Labscope Material's written reviews are positive against 79% of Celestia's.

Labscope Material ships an update every 4 months, Celestia every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Labscope Material | Celestia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/labscope-material/id688689220/reviews)** | [4.4 (331 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **331** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 79.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 62 MB | 545 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Carl Zeiss AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/488066215) | [林峰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1186547508) |

## What reviewers say

### Labscope Material

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/labscope-material/id688689220)

Transform your ZEISS microscope into a WiFi-enabled imaging system. Capture images and videos of microscopic samples, add annotations, and create reports. Ideal for educational settings, it facilitates a digital classroom experience for students.

**Highlights:** WiFi-enabled microscope imaging, Image and video capture, Annotations and report creation, Digital classroom system, Virtual microscope for testing

**In-app purchases:** none


### Celestia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829)

Explore the universe in real-time 3D. Visit planets, moons, star clusters, and galaxies, viewing them from any point in space and time. Customize your experience with expandable content and detailed simulations.

**Highlights:** Real-time 3D space visualization, Explore planets, moons, stars, galaxies, Accurate solar system object positions, Interactive planetarium mode, Expandable content with add-ons, Customizable celestial databases

**Features:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Celestia PLUS (Weekly) | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Celestia PLUS (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Celestia PLUS (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| Celestia PLUS (Lifetime) | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Realistic space simulation
- 🌌 Ability to explore galaxies and star systems
- 🔍 Detailed planet and moon textures
- 📷 Great for taking screenshots
- 🤖 Reminds users of Space Engine

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🌌 Limited exploration beyond Milky Way and Andromeda
- 🌍 Flat terrain on planets
- 🔍 Lack of detail on some celestial objects
- 🔒 Paywall for some features

**Reported bugs**

- Milky Way and other galaxy textures not loading properly
- Crashes when using certain add-ons
- Issues with planet and moon orbits not being accurate

**Requested features**

- Add more exoplanets and distant star systems
- Implement terrain generation for planets
- Expand to include more galaxies and the overall universe structure
- Add support for black holes, pulsars, and other exotic objects
- Improve controls and camera movement


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Labscope Material free?

Labscope Material is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Celestia free?

Celestia is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Labscope Material or Celestia?

Labscope Material is rated higher. Labscope Material averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Celestia averages 4.4 from 331 ratings.

### Do Labscope Material or Celestia have ads?

Neither Labscope Material nor Celestia shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Labscope Material or Celestia?

Labscope Material ships an update every 4 months, and Celestia every 2 weeks. Most recently, Labscope Material was updated on October 1, 2026 and Celestia on October 13, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*