# solAR vs Artsteps

The clearest difference is review sentiment: solAR at 67% against Artsteps's 24%. solAR also leads on ratings volume (2.1K vs 1) and device support (5 vs 3). Artsteps's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Artsteps holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: solAR has 2.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of solAR's written reviews are positive against 24% of Artsteps's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

solAR ships an update every 3 months, Artsteps every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | solAR | Artsteps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-solar-system-in-ar/id1286558019/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artsteps/id1421672085/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **67.4% of reviews** | 24.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 43 MB | 91 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Stoeckli](https://appshunter.io/developer/368788110) | [Dataverse](https://appshunter.io/developer/702959278) |

## What reviewers say

### solAR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-solar-system-in-ar/id1286558019)

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:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Activate all Celestial Bodies | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Realistic and detailed planets
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
- 🌟 Great AR implementation
- 💡 Helpful for learning about the solar system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 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

**Reported bugs**

- Planets not rendering properly in iOS 16
- Purchased content not unlocking correctly
- Frequent crashes and performance issues

**Requested features**

- 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


### Artsteps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artsteps/id1421672085)

Explore immersive virtual reality environments filled with interactive media. Create and share your own virtual spaces, telling personal stories through engaging visuals and sounds.

**Highlights:** Virtual reality world exploration, Interactive images, videos, 3D objects, Showcase personal spaces in VR, Share personal stories, Immersive audio experiences

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is solAR free?

solAR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Artsteps free?

Artsteps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, solAR or Artsteps?

Artsteps is rated higher. solAR averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Artsteps averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do solAR or Artsteps have ads?

Neither solAR nor Artsteps shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, solAR or Artsteps?

solAR ships an update every 3 months, and Artsteps every 5 months. Most recently, solAR was updated on October 26, 2026 and Artsteps on October 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*