# Celestron SkyPortal vs EXPLORE scientific

The clearest difference is rating: Celestron SkyPortal at 3.6 against EXPLORE scientific's 1.0. Celestron SkyPortal also leads on review sentiment (32% vs 0%) and ratings volume (354 vs 1). EXPLORE scientific's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Celestron SkyPortal holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Celestron SkyPortal has 354 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of Celestron SkyPortal's written reviews are positive against 0% of EXPLORE scientific's.

Celestron SkyPortal ships an update every 3 months, EXPLORE scientific every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestron SkyPortal | EXPLORE scientific |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.6 (354 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestron-skyportal/id877780544/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explore-scientific/id6742817626/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **354** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **31.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 709 MB | 222 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Celestron, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/445142854) | [JOC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1037742081) |

## What reviewers say

### Celestron SkyPortal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestron-skyportal/id877780544)

Explore the cosmos with a comprehensive astronomy suite. Discover stars, planets, and celestial events, and enhance your stargazing with detailed information and audio narration. Connect to compatible telescopes for automatic object location.

**Highlights:** Explore 120,000 stars and celestial objects, Simulate night sky past/future, Real-time sky synchronization, Control compatible WiFi telescopes, Animate celestial events, Audio narration and object descriptions, Night Vision mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app
- 🚀 Transforms stargazing
- 💡 Wonderful features
- 👍 Convenient control
- 👍 Incredible for free

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Alignment issues
- 🐛 Connectivity problems
- 🐛 Laggy controls
- 🐛 Inaccurate compass
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes

**Reported bugs**

- Fails to align telescope
- Telescope points in wrong direction
- Disconnects frequently
- Doesn't show deep sky objects
- Crashes on startup

**Requested features**

- Add red night mode
- Improve focus motor control
- Integrate weather data
- Provide RA/DEC coordinates
- Add more celestial objects


### EXPLORE scientific

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explore-scientific/id6742817626)

This application provides professional scientific instruments and resources to inspire exploration and broaden understanding of scientific wonders. It aims to make scientific discoveries accessible to everyone, encouraging a deeper engagement with the world around us.

**Highlights:** Professional scientific instruments, Educational resources, Inspires spirit of exploration, Experience scientific miracles, Broaden cognitive boundaries

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Celestron SkyPortal free?

Celestron SkyPortal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is EXPLORE scientific free?

EXPLORE scientific is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Celestron SkyPortal or EXPLORE scientific?

Celestron SkyPortal is rated higher. Celestron SkyPortal averages 3.6 out of 5 from 354 ratings, while EXPLORE scientific averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Celestron SkyPortal or EXPLORE scientific have ads?

Neither Celestron SkyPortal nor EXPLORE scientific shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Celestron SkyPortal or EXPLORE scientific?

Celestron SkyPortal ships an update every 3 months, and EXPLORE scientific every 9 days. Most recently, Celestron SkyPortal was updated on November 6, 2026 and EXPLORE scientific on October 30, 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.*