# solAR vs Rocket Simulator

The clearest difference is review sentiment: solAR at 67% against Rocket Simulator's 11%. solAR also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.8) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. solAR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Rocket Simulator sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

solAR holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.1K and 428 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of solAR's written reviews are positive against 11% of Rocket Simulator's.

solAR ships an update every 3 months, Rocket Simulator every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | solAR | Rocket Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-solar-system-in-ar/id1286558019/reviews)** | [3.8 (428 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rocket-simulator-spaceflight/id1624406379/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | 428 |
| Positive reviews | **67.4% of reviews** | 10.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 43 MB | 286 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Stoeckli](https://appshunter.io/developer/368788110) | [Education Terra](https://appshunter.io/developer/946819038) |

## 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


### Rocket Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rocket-simulator-spaceflight/id1624406379)

Build and launch your own rockets in augmented reality. Assemble various rocket models, learn about their history and functions, and customize them with AI-generated stickers. Experience space exploration with different missions and modes.

**Highlights:** AR rocket assembly, Rocket model customization, Historical rocket information, AI sticker generation, Flight simulation, Educational facts about rockets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rocket Ship - 1 Week | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Week Subscription | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Rocket Simulator: Spaceflight | $19.99 | per month |
| Rocket Ship Building & Launch | $20.99 | per year |
| 3 Months Subscription | $20.99 | per 3 months |
| 2 Months Subscription | $39.99 | per 2 months |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Cool concept
- 👍 Epic game
- 👍 Nice
- 👍 Good game
- 👍 Great game!

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Pay to play
- 💸 Subscription required
- 💸 Expensive
- 💸 Misleading free trial
- 💸 Unusable without payment

**Reported bugs**

- Parts don't connect
- No command center on launch
- Rocket goes to sky and mission complete
- Animations not shown correctly
- Slow rollout animation

**Requested features**

- Add command center
- Add space exploration
- Add more to the game
- Add staging and space rocket control
- Add other planets to land on


## Frequently asked questions

### Is solAR free?

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

### Is Rocket Simulator free?

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

### Which has better reviews, solAR or Rocket Simulator?

solAR is rated higher. solAR averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Rocket Simulator averages 3.8 from 428 ratings.

### Do solAR or Rocket Simulator have ads?

Rocket Simulator shows ads; solAR does not.

### Which is updated more often, solAR or Rocket Simulator?

solAR ships an update every 3 months, and Rocket Simulator every 2 months. Most recently, solAR was updated on October 26, 2026 and Rocket Simulator on October 30, 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.*