# solAR vs Planets AR

The clearest difference is update cadence: solAR at every 3 months against Planets AR's every 40 months. solAR also leads on ratings volume (2.1K vs 78) and device support (5 vs 2). Planets AR's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 67%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. solAR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Planets AR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for solAR against 4.5 for Planets AR. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: solAR has 2.1K ratings behind it against 78, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of solAR's written reviews are positive against 86% of Planets AR's.

solAR ships an update every 3 months, Planets AR every 40 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | solAR | Planets AR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-solar-system-in-ar/id1286558019/reviews)** | [4.5 (78 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planets-ar-solar-system-3d/id1494640887/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | 78 |
| Positive reviews | 67.4% of reviews | **85.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 40 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 43 MB | 120 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Stoeckli](https://appshunter.io/developer/368788110) | [Darren Tracey](https://appshunter.io/developer/1494640886) |

## 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


### Planets AR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planets-ar-solar-system-3d/id1494640887)

Explore the solar system in augmented reality, bringing planets and their orbits to life. Discover detailed facts and high-definition surface images for each celestial body. Witness the dynamic movement of planets rotating and revolving around the sun.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality solar system visualization, Planet orbits and rotation simulation, Detailed planet facts, High-definition planet surface images, Full solar system view

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock all features | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is solAR free?

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

### Is Planets AR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, solAR or Planets AR?

solAR is rated higher. solAR averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Planets AR averages 4.5 from 78 ratings.

### Do solAR or Planets AR have ads?

Neither solAR nor Planets AR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, solAR or Planets AR?

solAR ships an update every 3 months, and Planets AR every 40 months. Most recently, solAR was updated on October 2, 2026 and Planets AR on October 1, 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.*