Comparison

3D Solar System vs Galaxy Map

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

3D Solar System

Explore the solar system in 3D and augmented reality. Learn about planets, moons, stars, and constellations through interactive models, scientific facts, and engaging quizzes. Create your own planets with AI.

Highlights
  • 3D & AR Solar System models
  • Scientific facts about celestial bodies
  • Interactive star map
  • Engaging educational tasks and quizzes
  • AI-powered planet creation
Features
Read full description

Have you ever wanted to hold the Solar System in your hands? Now you can. 3D Solar System turns your device into a window to the planets, constellations, and stars beyond. Solar System in 3D and AR Travel from the Sun to the icy edge of deep space — a planetary journey of nearly 15 billion kilometers through our cosmic backyard. Study planets, moons, dwarf planets, and two major asteroid fields: the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter, and the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune. See how tiny Earth looks next to Jupiter. Zoom in on planets' craters, spin Saturn's rings, and realize just how vast the universe really is. Interactive star map for passionate stargazers A complete map of the night sky with gyroscope support. Tilt your device toward the ceiling and explore constellations like a true space explorer — as if you were standing under a real night sky. Learn each constellation's name, its ancient stories, and the astronomy behind them. Learn to identify Orion, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia and discover dozens more. What you can do: ► Study planets — from scorched Mercury to icy Neptune — along with moons, dwarf planets, and bright constellations like a real astronomer. ► Test your knowledge with quizzes, planet order challenges, "True or False", and mythology questions. Learn who the planets are named after, how long a day lasts on Pluto, and what makes a star shine. ► Create your own planet using AI — design it, name it, and explore it. 714,000+ people have downloaded our app. To put that in perspective: that's 79 times more than all the stars you can see in the night sky with your own eyes. Some features may require a subscription. Free version includes: basic planet info, part of the constellation catalog, some quizzes and tests, star map, and AI planet generation (up to 2 planets). Subscription unlocks: full content about the Solar System, full constellation catalog, all quizzes and tests, planet cross-sections, unlimited AI planet generation. Every planet is different. Each constellation has a story. The universe is waiting — and it's bigger than you ever imagined. Explore all planets, learn every constellation, and become the space explorer you've always wanted to be. Start your journey through space today. Privacy Policy: http://educationterra.com/privacy Terms Of Use: https://educationterra.com/tos

About

Galaxy Map

Explore the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies in an interactive 3D map. Discover nebulae, supernovae, and planets, with stunning visuals based on NASA data. Ideal for education and space enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • Interactive 3D galaxy map
  • Explore nebulae and supernovae
  • Fly through planetary atmospheres
  • Land on planets
  • Based on NASA data
  • Available in 100+ languages
Features
Read full description

The galaxy map is an interactive map of the Milky Way galaxy, Andromeda and their satellite galaxies. Explore the Orion Arm's nebulae and supernovae from the comfort of your spaceship. Fly through the atmosphere of Mars and many other planets and you can even land on them. Discover the galaxy in a stunning three dimensional map based on NASA's artistic impression of the Milky Way galactic structure. Photos are taken by NASA spacecraft and ground based telescopes like Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray, Herschel Space Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope. This interactive 3D map is excellent for teachers to use for instruction, and it is a great astronomy resource for students to explore the Milky Way galaxy and space as they learn more about the universe we live in. Available in over 100 languages! You can also From the outskirts of the galaxy, in the Norma-Outer spiral arm to the galactic center's supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, discover a galaxy full of amazing facts. Notable structures included: the Pillars of Creation, Helix Nebula, the Engraved Hourglass Nebula, the Pleiades, the Orion Arm (where the solar system and the Earth are located) with its Orion belt. Check out neighboring dwarf galaxies such as Sagittarius and the Canis Major Overdensity, stellar streams as well as internal galactic components such as a variety of nebulae, star clusters or supernovae. Explore space and get a little closer to our wonderful universe with this awesome astronomy app! The Galaxy Map requires internet access to retrieve information from the wiki.

Screenshots

3D Solar System4 screens
Galaxy Map4 screens

Verdict

The call

3D Solar System and Galaxy Map both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of Galaxy Map's written reviews are positive against 29% of 3D Solar System's. 3D Solar System's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. 3D Solar System sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and Galaxy Map sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Galaxy Map holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.7K and 600 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of 3D Solar System's written reviews are positive against 80% of Galaxy Map's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

3D Solar System ships an update fortnightly, Galaxy Map every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
3D Solar System versus Galaxy Map: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter3D Solar SystemGalaxy Map
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (1.7K ratings)4.6 (600 ratings) — better
Positive reviews28.6% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.7K — better600
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size347 MB613 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEducation TerraAndrei Nistorescu

Customer experience

3D Solar System

All ratings1,689 ratings
Positive85.0%
Neutral4.7%
Negative10.3%
Written reviews154 reviews
Positive28.6%
Neutral5.2%
Negative66.2%

Galaxy Map

All ratings600 ratings
Positive91.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews100 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral7.0%
Negative13.0%

User reviews

3D Solar System

From 1.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Informative and educational
  • 🔍 Detailed solar system information
  • 🎨 Cool visuals and graphics

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
  • 🤔 Misleading 'free' claims
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🤯 Confusing user interface

Galaxy Map

From 600 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌌 Impressive 3D galaxy and nebula visualizations
  • 🚀 Spaceship exploration feature with landing capability
  • 📚 Educational content about space and astronomy
  • 🎮 Fun and engaging gameplay mechanics
  • ✨ No ads in free version

Room to improve

  • 💰 Excessive paywall for most content
  • 🐛 App crashes and fails to load
  • 🎮 Poor control mechanics for flying and walking
  • 🔍 Lack of zoom functionality or unclear controls
  • 🌑 Black holes look too similar to each other

Bugs and requests

3D Solar System

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Planets displayed incorrectly
  • Subscription charges without consent
  • Inability to cancel subscription

Requested features

4 requests
  • More free content and features
  • Realistic planet models and animations
  • Expanded content beyond the solar system
  • Improved accessibility and usability

Galaxy Map

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App crashes on startup
  • Explore button shows nothing
  • Pinch-to-zoom doesn't work
  • App won't load on iPad
  • Text displays as boxes in language settings
Show 4 more
  • Mars moon orbital speed incorrect
  • App kicks users out during exploration
  • Loading issues and incomplete functionality
  • Inconsistent performance across platforms

Requested features

18 requests
  • Search button to find galaxies and objects
  • More diverse and realistic black hole designs
  • AR feature to identify stars/planets in real sky
  • More free content and objects
  • Exoplanet additions (TRAPPIST-1e, J1407B)
Show 13 more
  • Ability to click on stars within galaxies for details
  • Generated planets around stars
  • Sandbox/creation mode for user-generated content
  • Animation for Milky Way and Andromeda
  • More galaxy variety in the app
  • Coordinates filter for objects
  • Space-Engine style gameplay
  • Flying through galaxies feature
  • More female character customization options
  • VIP version option
  • Brown dwarfs addition
  • Photosphere viewing mode
  • More detailed star information

In-app purchases

12 purchases

3D Solar System

Subscriptions10
  • 1 Week Subscription$7.997 Days
  • 1 Month PRO3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • 1 month Sale2 Months trial$10.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • 12 months sale3 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • 6 months$19.996 Months
  • Astronomy guide - Sky atlas$19.991 Month
  • 12 months3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Astronomy guide - Sky atlas3 Days trial$29.993 Months
  • 2 Month Subscription3 Days trial$29.992 Months
  • 2 Months Subscription3 Days trial$39.992 Months
One-time2
  • Disable Ads Sale$9.99
  • Disable Ads$19.99
13 purchases

Galaxy Map

One-time13
  • Buy ship - Alien Destroyer$0.99
  • Buy ship - Alien fighter$0.99
  • Remove ads$1.99
Show 10 more
  • Buy ship - Alien Destroyer$1.99
  • Buy ship - Alien fighter$1.99
  • 3D Visualization Pack$1.99
  • Buy ship - Dragon Frigate$1.99
  • Essentials bundle - SALE$2.99
  • Remove ads$3.99
  • 3D Visualization Pack$3.99
  • Essentials bundle$4.99
  • Ultimate bundle - SALE$7.99
  • Ultimate bundle$12.99

Questions

Is 3D Solar System free?
3D Solar System is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Galaxy Map free?
Galaxy Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, 3D Solar System or Galaxy Map?
Galaxy Map is rated higher. 3D Solar System averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Galaxy Map averages 4.6 from 600 ratings.
Do 3D Solar System or Galaxy Map have ads?
Both 3D Solar System and Galaxy Map show ads.
Which is updated more often, 3D Solar System or Galaxy Map?
3D Solar System ships an update fortnightly, and Galaxy Map every 5 weeks. Most recently, 3D Solar System was updated on September 22, 2026 and Galaxy Map on September 24, 2026.

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