Universal Zoom vs Universe Maker
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
Universe Maker
Explore the potential histories and futures of a universe by adjusting its fundamental components. This educational tool allows users to experiment with radiation, matter, and dark energy to observe how these elements influence cosmic evolution.
- Simulate universe histories and futures
- Tinker with universe composition
- Observe cosmic evolution
- Experiment with radiation, matter, and dark energy
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Universe make lets you the many possible histories and futures that a universe can have. Scientists believe that our universe is expanding at an accelerating rate and will expand forever. If the composition of our universe were to change, however, its future could be quite different. Our universe contains three things: radiation, matter, and dark energy. Together, these three components control the evolution of the universe. Universe Maker invites you to tinker with the composition of our universe and watch its history and destiny change.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Universe Maker at Free against Universal Zoom's $5.99. Universe Maker also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.5). Universal Zoom's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (366 vs 11). On review sentiment, 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
Universe Maker is free to download; Universal Zoom costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Universal Zoom holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Universal Zoom has 366 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 97% of Universal Zoom's written reviews are positive against 100% of Universe Maker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
| Parameter | Universal Zoom | Universe Maker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (366 ratings) — better | 4.0 (11 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 96.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 366 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #150 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 175 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | GamifyIt | Christopher Leet |
Customer experience
Universal Zoom
Universe Maker
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
Universe Maker
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Universal Zoom
No in-app purchases
Universe Maker
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Universal Zoom free?
Is Universe Maker free?
Which has better reviews, Universal Zoom or Universe Maker?
Do Universal Zoom or Universe Maker have ads?
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