EarthDesk vs Spice
EarthDesk
xericdesign.comSpice
spicebox.devSide by side
| Figure | EarthDesk | Spice |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1.25/mo | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 7 | 0 |
| Spec score · Desktop Wallpaper Software | 8.9 (#4) | 6.9 (#30) |
| Known limitation | The support page says EarthDesk does not currently work with Path Finder on macOS. | The project README says users can reset the whole blocklist, while removing individual images is forthcoming. |
| Performance | The maker says EarthDesk runs in the background while using minimal system resources. | The site says Spice is built in Go and processes 4K images in the background. |
| Privacy | Apple lists the developer's stated privacy practice as collecting no data from the Mac app. | The site says API keys and personal Google Photos stay on the user's machine, and image cropping and AI face detection happen locally. |
| Support | The maker directs users to review the product support page and offers a contact form for help. | The project README directs users to open a GitHub issue to report a bug or share an idea. |
Plans
EarthDesk
- EarthDesk 7 upgrade$12.99, paid once
- EarthDesk data subscription$14.99 a year
- Single-user data subscription$14.99 a year
- EarthDesk 7 with 1-year subscription upgrade$20.99, paid once
- EarthDesk 7 single-user license$24.99, paid once
- Five-user data subscription$24.99 a year
- Small-business data subscription$39.99 a year
In their own words
EarthDesk
EarthDesk turns a computer desktop into an updating view of Earth from space, with near-real-time clouds, sun and moon depictions, and city lighting. It offers 12 map projections, including Mercator, Azimuthal, Equirectangular, and a globe with optional starfield. Maps can be centered using latitude and longitude, relative to the sun or moon, or on one of 10,000 locations; a data subscription adds other centering choices. On multiple displays, it can show a different map on each screen or span one map across them. Standard cloud imagery is global, 2-megapixel, and refreshed every six hours. The data subscription adds geo-located, parallax-corrected imagery from 23 satellites at 32-megapixel detail, refreshed every three hours, plus earthquake, tropical storm, and International Space Station information. The maker offers a free Mac or Windows trial before purchase. A single-user license starts at 24.99 USD once and covers two Mac or Windows computers. An upgrade costs 12.99 USD once and requires a previous license key; the data subscription costs $14.99 a year. Minimums are macOS 10.14, Windows 7, or tvOS 13.2.