Comparison

Encyclopedia vs Solar Explorer 3D

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

Head to head
About

Encyclopedia

Explore the solar system with extensive articles and high-definition images. This app offers comprehensive information, engaging content, and a user-friendly interface, making it suitable for both children and adults interested in space.

Highlights
  • Thousands of articles and HD photos
  • Comprehensive solar system information
  • Engaging and easy-to-understand content
  • Offline availability
  • Badge collection for reading
  • Intuitive user interface
Features
Read full description

Explore 386 illustrated articles about planets, moons, dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, astronomy, missions, discoveries, and the science of our solar system. Search article titles and full text, open clear article pages, and follow linked topics without losing your place. Reading progress and themed badges help you build a path through the collection. Explore the solar system from several angles: - Timeline view follows discoveries, missions, scientists, and changing ideas. - Graph view reveals relationships between worlds, spacecraft, people, and concepts. - Map view adds geographic context for observatories, discoveries, and missions where source material provides it. - References and image credits keep source attribution visible. Thirty articles are free to read. A one-time purchase unlocks the complete encyclopedia for offline reading, including maps, timelines, and graphs. Monthly or annual Premium includes the complete encyclopedia plus AI chat, with a seven-day free trial for eligible new subscribers. People who bought the original Full Version can restore permanent offline encyclopedia access; AI chat remains a separate Premium feature. AI chat answers grounded questions about the solar system and links back to relevant articles so you can continue reading and check the context. Article text is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. Every article includes source, revision-history, and image-credit links. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Solar Explorer 3D

Explore the cosmos with a realistic 3D simulation of the Solar System. Witness celestial bodies, spacecraft, and their movements with detailed surface views and mission replays. Ideal for astronomy enthusiasts and educators.

Highlights
  • Realistic 3D Solar System simulation
  • Detailed celestial body and spacecraft models
  • Surface exploration and landing views
  • Time acceleration for observing motion
  • Mission replay functionality
  • Real-time astronomical data display
Features
Read full description

Embark on an immersive journey through the solar system! Solar Explorer brings the solar system to life with a stunning 3D simulation based on real astronomical data, featuring 60+ celestial bodies and spacecraft. Experience the grandeur and mysteries of the universe in the palm of your hand. Key Features • Realistic Simulation – Explore the orbits of celestial bodies and spacecraft, along with the rotation of planets and moons, in an immersive 3D simulation. • Close-Up View – Observe surfaces and rotation up close, follow moons around their parent planets, and examine detailed 3D spacecraft models. • Landing View – View a realistic starry sky and the Milky Way from selected surface locations on different celestial bodies. • Time Acceleration – Speed up time or run it backward to explore how celestial bodies and spacecraft move. • Mission Replay – Replay selected space missions with trajectory overviews and close-ups of key events. • Surface Features – Zoom in to discover surface features and place names on the Moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies. Professional-Grade Experience • Planet, moon, and spacecraft positions are calculated using astronomical data and celestial mechanics, with information panel data updated to match the simulation time. • Inspect high-resolution surface textures up close and discover the varied landscapes of planets and moons. • Examine detailed 3D spacecraft models, including all five probes that have traveled beyond Neptune’s orbit, and track their speed and distance from Earth as simulation time changes. • Discover historic landing sites on the Moon, Mars, Venus, and other worlds, with details about landers and surface features. • Landing view uses celestial mechanics and viewing geometry to recreate the local sky and celestial motion, reflecting effects such as the Moon’s tidal locking and Venus’s retrograde rotation. • The Earth-Moon view extends to the Sun-Earth Lagrange points L1 and L2, with orbital paths for space telescopes such as JWST, Roman, and Euclid. • Enjoy detailed planetary rings, the Sun’s corona and glow, and sweeping views of the asteroid belt and Kuiper belt, along with shadows and transits. Intuitive Controls • Tap a celestial body or its name label to enter close-up view, or browse celestial bodies and spacecraft in the catalog. • Drag with one finger to rotate the view, and pinch with two fingers to zoom. • In close-up view, use the location picker to choose a landing viewpoint. On Earth, you can also use your current location. • Adjust the speed and direction of time in orbit view, close-up view, and landing view to observe rotation and orbital motion. Whether you’re an astronomy enthusiast, an educator, or a curious explorer, Solar Explorer opens a gateway to the mysteries of the universe. Download now and begin your space adventure!

Screenshots

Encyclopedia4 screens
Solar Explorer 3D4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Encyclopedia at 83% against Solar Explorer 3D's 50%. Solar Explorer 3D's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 62 months) and rating (4.1 vs 3.8). On price, ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Encyclopedia sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Solar Explorer 3D sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Solar Explorer 3D holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 22 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of Encyclopedia's written reviews are positive against 50% of Solar Explorer 3D's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Encyclopedia ships an update every 62 months, Solar Explorer 3D every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Encyclopedia versus Solar Explorer 3D: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEncyclopediaSolar Explorer 3D
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (14 ratings)4.1 (22 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1422 — better
Update frequencyEvery 62 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size322 MB835 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGood Spider, LLCShenzhen Qizhuan Technology Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Encyclopedia

All ratings14 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Solar Explorer 3D

All ratings22 ratings
Positive77.3%
Neutral4.5%
Negative18.2%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Encyclopedia

One-time1
  • Full Version$2.99
1 purchases

Solar Explorer 3D

One-time1
  • Premium Edition$3.99

Questions

Is Encyclopedia free?
Encyclopedia is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Solar Explorer 3D free?
Solar Explorer 3D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Encyclopedia or Solar Explorer 3D?
Solar Explorer 3D is rated higher. Encyclopedia averages 3.8 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Solar Explorer 3D averages 4.1 from 22 ratings.
Do Encyclopedia or Solar Explorer 3D have ads?
Neither Encyclopedia nor Solar Explorer 3D shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Encyclopedia or Solar Explorer 3D?
Encyclopedia ships an update every 62 months, and Solar Explorer 3D every 2 weeks. Most recently, Encyclopedia was updated on September 3, 2026 and Solar Explorer 3D on September 20, 2026.

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