Comparison

Backyard Apollo AR vs solAR

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Life-sized rocket model
  • 360-degree viewing
  • Augmented reality placement
  • Realistic launch sequence
  • Authentic mission sounds
  • Customizable rocket experience
  • Snapshot sharing
Read full description

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”!

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Backyard Apollo AR4 screens
solAR4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. solAR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Backyard Apollo AR asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Backyard Apollo AR versus solAR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackyard Apollo ARsolAR
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.5K ratings) — better4.6 (2.1K ratings)
Positive reviews69.6% of reviews — better67.4% of reviews
Number of ratings1.5K2.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS15.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWobbleworks LLCMichael Stoeckli

Customer experience

Backyard Apollo AR

All ratings1,488 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews69 reviews
Positive69.6%
Neutral4.3%
Negative26.1%

solAR

All ratings2,080 ratings
Positive89.3%
Neutral4.4%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews138 reviews
Positive67.4%
Neutral8.7%
Negative23.9%

User reviews

Backyard Apollo AR

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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

None

Backyard Apollo AR

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

solAR

One-time1
  • Activate all Celestial Bodies$4.99

Questions

Is Backyard Apollo AR free?
Backyard Apollo AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is solAR free?
solAR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Backyard Apollo AR or solAR?
Backyard Apollo AR is rated higher. Backyard Apollo AR averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while solAR averages 4.6 from 2.1K ratings.
Do Backyard Apollo AR or solAR have ads?
Neither Backyard Apollo AR nor solAR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Backyard Apollo AR or solAR?
Backyard Apollo AR ships an update every 7 months, and solAR every 3 months. Most recently, Backyard Apollo AR was updated on November 2, 2026 and solAR on November 3, 2026.

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