Comparison

Interactive Solar System vs Smithsonian

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

Head to head
About

Interactive Solar System

Features
Read full description

Take a thrilling tour of the Solar System with the Interactive Solar System Explorer. Select the planet that you wish to explore and then hit the power button to zoom off to your destination. When you arrive a myriad of interesting facts await you. Tap a button access interesting data about each of the planets, the asteroids and the Earth's moon. Facts include distance from the sun, diameter, mass, and orbital and rotational periods -- all presented in an interactive format. Tap the info button to read interesting facts about each important object in the solar system. Teachers will really like this app. After students have read about the planets, they can tap the quiz button to measure their reading comprehension. In addition to the quiz there is also a word game that helps students review the information presented. Charts and graphs are used to present comparison information about the planets. Interactive Solar System Explorer is available for iOS and tvOS devices. It is just beautiful on a big screen TV and would be a wonderfully exciting tool in any science classroom.

About

Smithsonian

Explore the solar system with interactive games and animations. Learn fascinating facts about planets, moons, and the asteroid belt. Designed for curious young minds to introduce astronomy basics.

Highlights
  • Fascinating facts about the solar system
  • Mini games like Space Winter Rush
  • Interactive activities
  • Educational animations
  • Read to Me text
  • Collect planet badges
Features
Read full description

Join us on an exciting voyage through the solar system! Play, touch, read. and learn facts about the 8 planets in our solar system in this new app from The ©Smithsonian and PlayDate Digital. Designed for curious minds, this app features brilliantly illustrated animations which are sure to engage and entertain. Why is Mars called the Red Planet? Which is the brightest Planet? How many moons does Neptune have? What is the Asteroid Belt? Explore Planets, learn facts, and play games as you rocket through the solar system. Your space enthusiast will love learning all about the wonders of space and the universe. The mini games reinforce the learnings and interactive activities will keep kids engaged. Features: • Lots of fascinating facts about our solar system, its planets, and more! • Featuring mini games including Space Winter Rush, Comet Ceasefire, Solar System Sorting, Gas Planets and more! • Over 10 other interactive activities related to your space adventure. • Educational content and animations will entertain and engage while teaching simple astronomy basics. • ‘Read to Me’ text • Collect solar system and planet badges as you complete each level Planets and the Solar System from ©Smithsonian Kids is designed to deliver on these Learning Goals: • STEM: Introduce young learners to astronomy and science methods. • STEM: Expand young learners' curiosity and knowledge of the world around them. • Counting and Quantifying: Identify and organize groups of objects logically. • Visual Discrimination: Distinguish between different shapes, sizes, colors. • Visual Memory: Remembering and recalling visual information. • Color Recognition and Differentiation: Identifying and naming colors. • Shape Recognition and Classification: Identifying objects based on different shapes. ABOUT THE SMITHSONIAN The ©Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum and research complex, dedicated to public education, national service, and scholarship in the arts, ©Smithsonian sciences, and history. The name of the ©Smithsonian Institution and the sunburst logo are registered trademarks of the ©Smithsonian Institution. For more information, please visit www.si.edu ABOUT PLAYDATE DIGITAL PlayDate Digital Inc. is a publisher of high-quality, interactive, mobile educational software for children. PlayDate Digital's products nurture children's emerging literacy and creativity skills by turning digital screens into engaging experiences. PlayDate Digital content is built in partnership with some of the world's most trusted global brands for kids. Visit us: playdatedigital.com Like us: facebook.com/playdatedigital Follow us: @playdatedigital Watch all our app trailers: youtube.com/PlayDateDigital1 HAVE QUESTIONS? We'd love to hear from you! Your questions suggestions and comments are always welcome. Contact us 24/7 at info@playdatedigital.com

Screenshots

Smithsonian4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Smithsonian at Free against Interactive Solar System's $1.99. Interactive Solar System's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Smithsonian is free to download; Interactive Solar System costs $1.99 up front. Smithsonian sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Interactive Solar System asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Interactive Solar System ships an update fortnightly, Smithsonian every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
Interactive Solar System versus Smithsonian: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInteractive Solar SystemSmithsonian
Price$1.99Free — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB285 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVentura Educational SystemsPlayDate Digital

In-app purchases

None

Interactive Solar System

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Smithsonian

One-time2
  • Remove Ads$1.99
  • Buy 5 Planets$2.99

Questions

Is Interactive Solar System free?
Interactive Solar System costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Smithsonian free?
Smithsonian is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Interactive Solar System or Smithsonian have ads?
Neither Interactive Solar System nor Smithsonian shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Interactive Solar System or Smithsonian?
Interactive Solar System ships an update fortnightly, and Smithsonian every 3 months. Most recently, Interactive Solar System was updated on September 18, 2026 and Smithsonian on September 22, 2026.

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