# Solar Coaster vs Armillary Sphere

The clearest difference is rating: Solar Coaster at 5.0 against Armillary Sphere's 4.0. Armillary Sphere's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 2) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Solar Coaster holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 6 respectively.

Solar Coaster ships an update every 3 months, Armillary Sphere every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Solar Coaster | Armillary Sphere |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-coaster/id1218422388/reviews)** | [4.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/armillary-sphere/id1225026601/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | — | 85.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 37 MB | 275 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Steve Lidie](https://appshunter.io/developer/1869780159) | [HKU TELI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1153931100) |

## What reviewers say

### Solar Coaster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-coaster/id1218422388)

Visualize the precise movements of the Sun and Moon with 3D graphs, eclipse details, and rise/set times. This app offers offline calculations for celestial positions and moon phases, making it ideal for astronomy enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** 3D movement graphs, Eclipse information and circumstances, Rise and set times, Moon phase and illumination, Offline astronomical data, Local horizontal coordinate system

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Armillary Sphere

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/armillary-sphere/id1225026601)

Explore the cosmos with this 3D astronomical tool. Measure and record the positions and movements of celestial bodies, and determine sunrise/sunset times and day length. Reconstructs an ancient scientific instrument using modern technology.

**Highlights:** 3D astronomical model, Measure celestial positions, Record Sun and star movements, Determine sunrise/sunset times, Calculate day length, Adjustable Meridian, Equator, Horizon, Ecliptic, Altitude

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Solar Coaster free?

Solar Coaster is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Armillary Sphere free?

Armillary Sphere is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Solar Coaster or Armillary Sphere?

Solar Coaster is rated higher. Solar Coaster averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Armillary Sphere averages 4.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Solar Coaster or Armillary Sphere have ads?

Neither Solar Coaster nor Armillary Sphere shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Solar Coaster or Armillary Sphere?

Solar Coaster ships an update every 3 months, and Armillary Sphere every 5 months. Most recently, Solar Coaster was updated on October 9, 2026 and Armillary Sphere on October 16, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*