Comparison

Solar Coaster vs EclipseX

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 3D movement graphs
  • Eclipse information and circumstances
  • Rise and set times
  • Moon phase and illumination
  • Offline astronomical data
  • Local horizontal coordinate system
Features
Read 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.

About

EclipseX

Features
Read full description

EclipseX is a fast, offline-friendly catalog of solar and lunar eclipses. Browse upcoming events, check visibility for your current location, and open a trajectory map to explore the path. Highlights: 1. My Location: Detects your country/continent and shows eclipses likely visible where you are. 2. Trajectory Map: Full-screen map with centerline overlay and quick links to details. 3. Upcoming List: Clean list with type icons (Total/Annular/Hybrid/Partial/Penumbral). 4. Search & Filter: Filter by year or by kind (solar / lunar). 5. Region Aware: See where each eclipse can be viewed (continents & countries). 6. Details View: Key facts like date (UTC), magnitude, Saros, max duration, notes, and source link. 7. Lightweight & Private: No account. Location is used only to compute visibility on device. Notes 1. Centerline overlays are provided for key upcoming eclipses and will expand over time. 2. Ad-supported (Google AdMob) to keep the app free. 3. No login required. Works on iPhone and iPad.

Screenshots

Solar Coaster4 screens
EclipseX4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: EclipseX at every 10 days against Solar Coaster's every 3 months. Solar Coaster's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.6). On price, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Solar Coaster ships an update every 3 months, EclipseX every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Solar Coaster versus EclipseX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSolar CoasterEclipseX
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSteve LidieNATUREWEB LLP

In-app purchases

None

Solar Coaster

No in-app purchases

None

EclipseX

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Solar Coaster free?
Solar Coaster is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is EclipseX free?
EclipseX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Solar Coaster or EclipseX have ads?
Neither Solar Coaster nor EclipseX shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Solar Coaster or EclipseX?
Solar Coaster ships an update every 3 months, and EclipseX every 10 days. Most recently, Solar Coaster was updated on November 2, 2026 and EclipseX on October 30, 2026.

Other comparisons