Solar Coaster vs Engineering & Tech Animations
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Solar Coaster
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.
- 3D movement graphs
- Eclipse information and circumstances
- Rise and set times
- Moon phase and illumination
- Offline astronomical data
- Local horizontal coordinate system
Read full descriptionHide full description
Solar Coaster provides accurate position, time, motion and eclipse information for Earth's nearest star, Sol, our Sun, and nearest celestial body, Luna, our Moon. Information includes 3D movement graphs, upcoming eclipses and their circumstances, rise and set times, positions, distances and velocities, moon phase, illumination and crescent rotation. Solar Coaster automatically updates its state every minute, or you can examine minutes randomly. The simulation uses a local horizontal coordinate system when displaying information, which essentially means that your current position is the center of the Universe and all calculated values are relative to you. Sun and Moon positions are also available in equatorial coordinates. Solar Coaster stores enough onboard astronomical data to keep it running through the year 2100 AD, which means that all calculations can be performed locally without the need of a network connection — useful while in the wild chasing an eclipse. Algorithms are accurate at all longitudes, and latitudes between -61° south and +60° north (roughly speaking, locations outside the Polar regions). Of course, you must have Location Services enabled and allow Solar Coaster to access your position for accurate simulation results, and to properly detect eclipses visible at your location. You can also allow Notification Center to keep you informed when those eclipses will occur. Solar Coaster comes in various flavors: for iOS a native App; and for macOS a native App, Screen Saver and Web App.
Engineering & Tech Animations
Read full descriptionHide full description
Science Animations: Engineering and Technology animations is for learners in technical high schools as well as first year engineering students. This app will help them to get a better understanding of basic concepts in engineering. The concepts are explained in a visual, dynamic and interactive way. This app does not replace the teacher/lecturer or handbook but is a valuable additional source for teachers/lecturers. It is also important that learners should play on their own with this app. Topics covered by the app include the following: Force, Frameworks and Acceleration; Stress, Pressure and Bending Moment; Vibrations; Alternating Current; Thermodynamics; Bernoulli's Principle; Cubic Crystal Structures; Phase Diagrams; Orthographic Projections; Gears; and Engines.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Solar Coaster at Free against Engineering & Tech Animations's $15.99. Solar Coaster also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months). Engineering & Tech Animations's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On 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
Solar Coaster is free to download; Engineering & Tech Animations costs $15.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Solar Coaster ships an update every 3 months, Engineering & Tech Animations every 9 months. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.
| Parameter | Solar Coaster | Engineering & Tech Animations |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $15.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | Steve Lidie | Willie van Schalkwyk |
In-app purchases
Solar Coaster
No in-app purchases
Engineering & Tech Animations
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Solar Coaster free?
Is Engineering & Tech Animations free?
Do Solar Coaster or Engineering & Tech Animations have ads?
Which is updated more often, Solar Coaster or Engineering & Tech Animations?
Other comparisons













