Encyclopedia vs Heliosphere
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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Explore the Solar System, its planets and the worlds beyond Earth. Read 386 articles, search for a topic, and save discoveries to revisit. START WITH FIVE FREE ARTICLES New readers can choose any five different articles. Your chosen articles stay unlocked, and revisiting them never uses another choice. Existing readers keep previously granted access. MAKE DISCOVERIES YOUR OWN • Search article titles and full text • Follow links between related topics • Save articles and return to your reading position • Continue recent reading and track your progress • Explore connections through the timeline and graph • Find article sources and image credits inside the app CHOOSE YOUR ACCESS Own the full encyclopedia with a one-time purchase for complete offline reading. Or choose monthly or annual Premium for the full encyclopedia plus AI chat grounded in this subject's articles. Eligible new Premium subscribers receive a three-day introductory trial. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled through your App Store account. Current local prices and terms appear before purchase. Restore Purchases recovers eligible previous purchases. Earlier full-version ownership includes encyclopedia and offline access; Premium AI requires a subscription. Internet access is required for AI chat and purchases. AI answers may contain errors; consult the linked sources. Article text is derived from Wikipedia. Images come from appropriately licensed Wikimedia Commons and other open sources. Source links, licenses and credits are available in the app. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Heliosphere
Explore a real-time 3D simulation of the solar system, planets, moons, and spacecraft using accurate astronomical data. Learn about celestial bodies and space missions with educational content and quizzes.
- Real-time 3D solar system simulation
- Live spacecraft tracking
- Deep sky exploration
- Comprehensive astronomy education
- Time travel from 1900 to 2100
- Planet-centric viewing mode
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Explore the solar system at your fingertips. Heliosphere is a real-time 3D solar system simulation powered by NASA JPL Horizons data. It accurately recreates the orbits of planets, moons, comets, and dwarf planets while tracking the real positions of active spacecraft. * Real-time 3D Solar System Simulation — 8 planets, 5 dwarf planets, 10+ moons, and 4 comets — Precise Keplerian orbit calculations based on real astronomical data — Time travel from 1900 to 2100 — Pan, zoom, and rotate for a free-roaming perspective — Switch to planet-centric viewing mode * Live Spacecraft Tracking — Voyager 1, 2 | Pioneer 10, 11 — Cassini | Juno | New Horizons | Parker Solar Probe — Real position data from NASA JPL Horizons API * Deep Sky Exploration — Over 150 bright stars — 530 Milky Way stars — 124 deep-sky objects (Messier, NGC/IC catalogs) * Comprehensive Astronomy Education — 6 difficulty levels from middle school to graduate — Core concepts: Kepler's Laws, gravity, escape velocity, and more — Mission timelines for Voyager, Cassini, New Horizons, and others — 60+ quiz questions to test your knowledge — Historical space event date-guessing challenges * Free for Everyone — All content available at no cost — No ads — 11 languages supported Experience the beauty of the cosmos and the wonder of science through scientifically accurate data and intuitive interaction.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Encyclopedia at 3.8 against Heliosphere's 3.0. Encyclopedia also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 50%) and ratings volume (14 vs 2). Heliosphere's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Encyclopedia sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Heliosphere sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Encyclopedia holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Encyclopedia has 14 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Encyclopedia's written reviews are positive against 50% of Heliosphere's.
Encyclopedia ships an update every 3 weeks, Heliosphere every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Encyclopedia | Heliosphere |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (14 ratings) — better | 3.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 14 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 496 MB | 37 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Good Spider, LLC | CHUNGKIL KIM |
Customer experience
Encyclopedia
Heliosphere
In-app purchases
Encyclopedia
- Full Version$2.99
Heliosphere
- 1 Coffee$2.99
- 3 Coffees$8.99
- 5 Coffees$14.99
Questions
Is Encyclopedia free?
Is Heliosphere free?
Which has better reviews, Encyclopedia or Heliosphere?
Do Encyclopedia or Heliosphere have ads?
Which is updated more often, Encyclopedia or Heliosphere?
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