DLR_next vs Columbus Eye
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DLR_next
Explore the cosmos with interactive features about the International Space Station and the night sky. Track the ISS's live position, find upcoming visible passes, and use your phone as a mobile observatory to identify stars and planets.
- Live ISS position tracking
- Upcoming ISS pass predictions
- Mobile star observatory
- Identify stars and planets
- Detailed information on bright stars
- Interactive 3D ISS map
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Mit der kostenlosen DLR_next App kannst du in die faszinierende Welt der Forschung eintauchen! Entdecke mit den interaktiven Feature zur ISS, wo sich die Internationale Raumstation (ISS) gerade befindet und wo du sie beim nächsten Überflug mit bloßem Auge sehen kannst – wie einen hellen Stern am Himmel! Oder mach dein Smartphone mit „Star View“ zu deiner eigenen mobilen Sternwarte und erkunde den Nachthimmel! Die App zeigt dir an, welche Sterne gerade über dir leuchten und wo Venus, Mars und andere Planeten zu sehen sind. Mit einem bunten Mix aus spannenden Artikeln zu all diesen Themen liefert die DLR_next App viele spannende Infos. Also: Entdecke die Zukunft! Das alles bietet die DLR_next App: Interaktive ISS Features: + ISS Position: Liveansicht der aktuellen ISS-Position über die Smartphone-Kamera + ISS Next View: Vorschau des nächsten sichtbaren ISS-Überflugs an deinem Standort + ISS Sichtungen: Eine praktische Tabelle mit den nächsten ISS-Überflügen für deinen Standort oder einen Standort deiner Wahl + ISS Live Map: Die aktuelle Position der ISS auf einem beweglichen 3D-Globus Star View - Interaktive Features rund um den Sternenhimmel: + Sternenhimmel Live: Liveansicht der Sternenhimmels auf deinem Display + Die 100 hellsten Sterne: Detail-Informationen zu den 100 hellsten Sterne am Himmel
Columbus Eye
Explore Earth's features like volcanoes and cities in 3D using augmented reality. This educational app uses real satellite data and printable worksheets to bring scientific content to life for learning at home or in the classroom.
- Marker-based Augmented Reality
- High-quality satellite imagery
- Interactive learning modules
- Based on real satellite data
- Works with printable worksheets
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Explore the Earth in Augmented Reality – with Columbus Eye! Columbus Eye brings stunning satellite imagery and scientific content straight to your smartphone – letting you discover our planet through marker-based Augmented Reality (AR). Perfect for use in classrooms, at home, or simply out of curiosity. What you’ll find: • Marker-based Augmented Reality – Bring satellite images to life • High-quality satellite imagery – Explore volcanoes, cities, oceans, and more • Interactive learning modules – Understand how Earth observation works • Based on real satellite data – Scientifically sound and educational • Made for education – Works with free printable worksheets How it works: Print the matching markers from the official worksheets at https://esero.de/unterricht/arapps or https://columbuseye.rub.de/english.html, open the app – and watch satellite images come to life in 3D! A DLR educational project Columbus Eye was developed as part of an educational initiative by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). It combines real Earth observation data with engaging, curriculum-aligned content for schools and curious minds alike. Discover Earth from space – right on your smartphone.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: DLR_next at 13.0 against Columbus Eye's 15.0. On price, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
DLR_next ships an update every 4 months, Columbus Eye every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DLR_next | Columbus Eye |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 213 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | DLR German Aerospace Center e.V. | Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum |
Customer experience
DLR_next
Columbus Eye
In-app purchases
DLR_next
No in-app purchases
Columbus Eye
No in-app purchases
