Comparison

Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard vs Heliosphere

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

Head to head
About

Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard

Explore the solar system in virtual reality with detailed maps of all eight planets. Use Google Cardboard to view celestial bodies from all directions and cycle through planets with an interaction button.

Highlights
  • Virtual reality solar system exploration
  • Detailed planet maps
  • Google Cardboard compatibility
  • Interactive planet cycling
  • 360-degree planet viewing
Features
Read full description

See the solar system's planets up close like never before! Tiny Planets allows you to use Google Cardboard to view detailed maps of all eight planets in virtual reality. Simply launch the app, place it in your Google Cardboard unit, and look around to observe the planets from all directions. Press the interaction button on your Cardboard unit to cycle through the planets.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard4 screens
Heliosphere4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Heliosphere at 50% against Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard's 0%. Heliosphere also leads on rating (3.0 vs 2.3). Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 18.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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. Heliosphere sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Heliosphere holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard's written reviews are positive against 50% of Heliosphere's.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard versus Heliosphere: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTiny Planets VR for CardboardHeliosphere
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (3 ratings)3.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3 — better2
Update frequency—Every 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS9.3 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrandon SlaghtCHUNGKIL KIM

Customer experience

Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Heliosphere

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Heliosphere

One-time3
  • 1 Coffee$2.99
  • 3 Coffees$8.99
  • 5 Coffees$14.99

Questions

Is Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard free?
Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Heliosphere free?
Heliosphere is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard or Heliosphere?
Heliosphere is rated higher. Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard averages 2.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Heliosphere averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard or Heliosphere have ads?
Neither Tiny Planets VR for Cardboard nor Heliosphere shows ads.

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