# Solar Coaster vs Pocket Planets

The clearest difference is ads: Solar Coaster at none against Pocket Planets's shown. Solar Coaster also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Pocket Planets's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (22 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Planets has 22 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Solar Coaster ships an update every 3 months, Pocket Planets every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Solar Coaster | Pocket Planets |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-coaster/id1218422388/reviews)** | [4.6 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-planets/id1496547610/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **22** |
| Positive reviews | — | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 37 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Steve Lidie](https://appshunter.io/developer/1869780159) | [Ad Lunam Kereskedelmi es Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag](https://appshunter.io/developer/1496547609) |

## 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


### Pocket Planets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-planets/id1496547610)

Explore our solar system with detailed information on planets, moons, and astronauts. Track who is currently in space and receive notifications for new launches. Access NASA images and compare celestial body characteristics.

**Highlights:** Detailed planet and moon data, Astronaut information and missions, Real-time space occupancy, Launch notifications, NASA image gallery, Celestial body comparisons

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Solar Coaster free?

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

### Is Pocket Planets free?

Pocket Planets is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Solar Coaster or Pocket Planets?

Solar Coaster is rated higher. Solar Coaster averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Pocket Planets averages 4.6 from 22 ratings.

### Do Solar Coaster or Pocket Planets have ads?

Pocket Planets shows ads; Solar Coaster does not.

### Which is updated more often, Solar Coaster or Pocket Planets?

Solar Coaster ships an update every 3 months, and Pocket Planets every 3 weeks. Most recently, Solar Coaster was updated on October 9, 2026 and Pocket Planets on October 11, 2026.

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