Backyard Apollo AR vs solAR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Backyard Apollo AR
Experience a life-sized Apollo Saturn V rocket in augmented reality. Explore it from all angles, walk around it, and launch it with realistic sounds and visuals. Customize your rocket experience and share snapshots.
- Life-sized rocket model
- 360-degree viewing
- Augmented reality placement
- Realistic launch sequence
- Authentic mission sounds
- Customizable rocket experience
- Snapshot sharing
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Its the model rocket you’ve always wanted! See a life-sized Apollo Saturn V rocket up close from every angle walk under and around it, then blast it off! Authentic mission sounds using 3D positional audio — wear headphones for the coolest effect — combine with realistic high-detail graphics, physically-based rendering, and HDR audio recordings of real rocket launches to make the experience just like being there! You’ll be able to launch your rocket again and again, from anywhere you like. Just tap where you want your rocket to appear. It's that easy! Launch a tiny model on your desktop or a full-sized giant in a field! Backyard Apollo offers ways to customize your experience too, making it even more fun to launch your rockets and take snapshots for your friends. “3…2…1…Houston: we have liftoff”!
solAR
Explore the solar system in 3D and augmented reality. View planets, moons, and the sun in high resolution, placing them in your real-world environment. Adjust distances and scales for an immersive educational experience.
- Augmented reality solar system exploration
- High-resolution 3D models of planets and moons
- Place celestial bodies in real-world environments
- Adjustable planet and moon scale
- Interactive learning about space
- Intuitive gesture controls
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Introducing solAR, the revolutionary solar system exploration app that combines cutting-edge 3D and augmented reality technology to bring the wonders of the solar system right to your doorstep. Whether you're a parent looking for a new and exciting way to engage your children, an educator seeking to enhance your lessons, or simply someone with a passion for space and science, solAR is the perfect app for you. With solAR, you can explore the sun, all the planets and moons of our solar system in stunning high-resolution graphics, and place them in your real-world environment using augmented reality. Imagine being able to see Jupiter towering over your backyard or placing Saturn's rings on a football field. With solAR, you can do just that. Our app uses the camera on your device to superimpose digital content onto the real world, creating an immersive and interactive experience that is like nothing you've ever seen before. One of the unique features of solAR is the ability to adjust the scale of the distances between the planets and moons, allowing you to see how large or small they are in relation to each other. This feature is particularly useful for educational purposes, as it allows students to better understand the relative size of the planets and moons in the solar system. But solAR is more than just a fun and interactive way to explore the solar system, it's also an educational tool. Our app includes a wealth of information about each planet and moon. Children and students can learn about the solar system in a way that is both interactive and engaging. Here are some examples of how solAR can be used in an augmented reality setting: - As a parent, you can use solAR to take a virtual field trip with your child to the planets and moons, allowing them to see the solar system in a new and exciting way. Place the planets in your garden and let your children learn about the solar system while playing outside. Compare the relative size of the planets and moons by adjusting the scale. - As an educator, you can use solAR to enhance your lessons and bring the solar system to life in the classroom. Place the solar system on a football field and let your students learn about the relative size of the planets, moons and the sun. Use the scale adjustment feature to show how far apart the planets are from each other. - As a space enthusiast, you can use solAR to explore the solar system in your own backyard or any outdoor space. Place the planets and moons in any location you want and experience the solar system in a whole new way. Adjust the scale to see the relative size of the planets and moons. solAR is designed with an intuitive user interface, making it easy for anyone to navigate and explore. With simple gestures, you can zoom in and out, rotate, and navigate through the solar system. Our app also features beautiful high-resolution graphics, ensuring that every detail of the solar system is captured in stunning clarity. So why wait? Download solAR today and experience the solar system in a whole new way. With solAR, learning about the solar system has never been more interactive, engaging and fun! Don't miss out on this marvellous opportunity. Download solAR now and start your journey today!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Backyard Apollo AR at none against solAR's 1. solAR's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 7 months) and device support (5 vs 3). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. solAR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Backyard Apollo AR asks for nothing beyond the download.
Backyard Apollo AR holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 2.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Backyard Apollo AR's written reviews are positive against 67% of solAR's.
Backyard Apollo AR ships an update every 7 months, solAR every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Backyard Apollo AR | solAR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.5K ratings) — better | 4.6 (2.1K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 69.6% of reviews — better | 67.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K | 2.1K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 82 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Wobbleworks LLC | Michael Stoeckli |
Customer experience
Backyard Apollo AR
solAR
User reviews
Backyard Apollo AR
From 1.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Realistic rocket simulation
- 👍 Engaging and educational experience
- 💡 Potential for more rocket models
- 👍 Free to download
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Camera authorization issues
- 🔋 High memory and storage usage
- 🐛 Compatibility problems on older devices
solAR
From 2.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Realistic and detailed planets
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
- 🌟 Great AR implementation
- 💡 Helpful for learning about the solar system
Room to improve
- 💰 Paid content required to access full features
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches, especially after updates
- ⚠️ Inaccurate scale and proportions of planets/moons
- 🔧 Settings and controls not always intuitive
Bugs and requests
Backyard Apollo AR
Reported bugs
3 issues- Startup crashes and sensor reset loops
- Rocket launch sequence freezes
- Persistent audio issues after app closure
Requested features
3 requests- Add more rocket models and launch configurations
- Implement video recording capability
- Improve overall stability and performance
solAR
Reported bugs
3 issues- Planets not rendering properly in iOS 16
- Purchased content not unlocking correctly
- Frequent crashes and performance issues
Requested features
4 requests- Add more planets and dwarf planets
- Improve accuracy of scale and orbital mechanics
- Provide more educational information about planets
- Allow free access to full solar system view
In-app purchases
Backyard Apollo AR
No in-app purchases
solAR
- Activate all Celestial Bodies$4.99
Questions
Is Backyard Apollo AR free?
Is solAR free?
Which has better reviews, Backyard Apollo AR or solAR?
Do Backyard Apollo AR or solAR have ads?
Which is updated more often, Backyard Apollo AR or solAR?
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