Universal Zoom vs Cosmology
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Universal Zoom
Explore the universe's vastness and intricacy through interactive visual comparisons. Seamlessly zoom from subatomic particles to the observable universe, gaining intuition about scale and size with stunning imagery and clear explanations.
- Seamless zooming across scales
- Visual comparisons of objects
- Jargon-free scientific explanations
- Audio narration
- Over 270 objects presented to scale
- Multi-language support
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The universe is endlessly vast. A single atom is impossibly small. And somewhere between those two extremes lies everything that has ever existed. We believe that feeling — the electric, spine-tingling sense of scale — belongs to everyone. Not just scientists. Not just students. Everyone. That's why we built Universal Zoom. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Zoom seamlessly from the Planck length to the edge of the observable universe — about 300 objects presented to perfect scale. • Compare any two objects side by side: how many Earths fit inside Jupiter? How does a virus measure up against a skyscraper? Instant, visual, intuitive. (No other scale app lets you do this.) • Go deeper with audio narration and short, accessible explanations — the facts that matter, in plain language. WHAT YOU'LL EXPLORE • Elementary particles — quarks, leptons, and bosons. Atomic nuclei, atoms, and DNA. Living cells. Animals and landmarks. Planets, stars, and galaxies. A deep dive into physics, biology, and astronomy — with short, plain-language articles that make even particle physics easy to grasp — in 40 languages, with metric, imperial, or powers-of-ten units. • Real high-resolution photos and electron microscope images, where possible. Original artwork for things that can't be photographed — like elementary particles and DNA structures. • No ads. No in-app purchases. Pure discovery. BUILT WITH YOU We're a team of two (Andrey and Oksana) from Canada who have poured a decade into this app because we genuinely love science. Most objects come from community suggestions — carefully fact-checked and updated with every new discovery. Over 200 more are already in the queue. FOR EDUCATORS Used by teachers worldwide to visualize scale, build measurement intuition, and turn abstract numbers into "aha" moments. Available at 50% off for schools via Apple School Manager (20+ copies). FOLLOW THE JOURNEY Sneak peeks and upcoming additions: @gamifyitapps on X, YouTube, and TikTok. Feedback and ideas: gamifyitapps.com/contact
Cosmology
Explore the universe with stunning high-resolution images of celestial bodies. Journey through space, visiting planets and their moons, while learning about the evolution of space, time, and matter. Ponder the profound mysteries of existence.
- High-resolution images of planets, nebulae, and galaxies
- Interactive space travel to planets and moons
- Learn about the evolution of space, time, and matter
- Expert narration by Dr. Aaron Day
- Exploration of existential mysteries of the universe
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Explore the universe with 100s of high resolution images of planets, nebulae, galaxies, and more. Travel through space, visiting every planet and their major moons. Learn about the creation of space, time, and matter, and their evolution into stars, galaxies, and planets in the present day. Ponder the deep, existential mysteries of the universe. The story of creation is told by Dr. Aaron Day. Dr. Day earned his Ph.D. at the University of California, San Diego for research in cosmology.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Cosmology at Free against Universal Zoom's $5.99. Cosmology also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.5). Universal Zoom's advantage is review sentiment (97% vs 89%). On rating, ratings volume, 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
Cosmology is free to download; Universal Zoom costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Universal Zoom against 4.7 for Cosmology. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 363 and 505 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 97% of Universal Zoom's written reviews are positive against 89% of Cosmology's.
Universal Zoom ships an update every 4 months, Cosmology monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Universal Zoom | Cosmology |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (363 ratings) — better | 4.7 (505 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 96.7% of reviews — better | 88.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 363 | 505 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 175 MB | 190 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | GamifyIt | Aaron Day |
Customer experience
Universal Zoom
Cosmology
User reviews
Universal Zoom
From 363 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Fascinating and informative
- 🚀 Smooth and seamless experience
- 💡 Puts things into perspective
- 👍 Great learning tool for all ages
- 👍 Visually appealing and well-designed
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔇 Background music could be improved
Cosmology
From 505 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌟 Stunning, beautiful astrophotography images
- 📚 Educational content about space and universe
- 👍 Easy to use and understand interface
- 🎥 Informative videos and interactive features
- 🗺️ Interactive map for exploring cosmic scales
Room to improve
- 🐛 Image interference/technical glitches
- 📖 Shallow explanations for non-experts
- ⚠️ Limited educational depth compared to NASA app
- 🤔 Big Bang theory focus may conflict with religious beliefs
- ❌ Incomplete sections (Milky Way, Island Universe)
Bugs and requests
Universal Zoom
Reported bugs
3 issues- Incorrect information for some objects
- Compatibility issues on older devices
- Typos and minor errors in text
Requested features
5 requests- Add more objects and comparisons
- Customizable object feature
- Support for more languages
- Ability to toggle between metric and imperial units
- Search and filtering options
Cosmology
Reported bugs
2 issues- Image display interference/hacking concerns
- App feels incomplete in certain sections
Requested features
6 requests- More interactive activities and engagement features
- Text-to-speech functionality
- More detailed explanations for beginner-level users
- Additional sub-categories and content sections
- Regular updates with current astronomical images
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- Alternative cosmological perspectives or viewpoints
In-app purchases
Universal Zoom
No in-app purchases
Cosmology
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Universal Zoom free?
Is Cosmology free?
Which has better reviews, Universal Zoom or Cosmology?
Do Universal Zoom or Cosmology have ads?
Which is updated more often, Universal Zoom or Cosmology?
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