Comparison

Pocket AR Solar vs DIY Solar System

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

Head to head
About

Pocket AR Solar

Explore a personal solar system in augmented reality. Planets rotate at speeds based on real-world data, and you can tap on them to learn their names. Experience the cosmos like never before.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality solar system
  • Interactive planet rotation
  • Planet identification on touch
  • Educational content based on Wiki data
Features
Read full description

Enjoy your personal solar systems in AR style Features: 1. The planet rotate speed according to Wiki. 2. Touch planet to see the name.

About

DIY Solar System

Explore the solar system with interactive activities and an augmented reality planet walk. Learn about space travel, design a moon base, and identify celestial objects. Developed by leading science institutions, this app makes learning about space engaging for families and educators.

Highlights
  • Interactive space activities
  • Augmented reality planet walk
  • Design a moon base
  • Grow a space garden
  • Control a Mars rover
  • In or Out space game
  • NASA imagery
Features
Read full description

DIY Solar System makes it easy for families and educators to explore the solar system from anywhere, anytime! The app was developed by the Children’s Creativity Museum, Sciencenter, and Museum of Life and Science, in partnership with UC Berkeley’s The Lawrence Hall of Science. INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES DIY Solar System includes 11 easy-to-use activities to learn about space travel, living in space, and the unique objects that make up the planetary system we call home. Design a Moon base, grow your own space garden, or experience what it’s like to control a rover on Mars! Each activity includes step-by-step instructions that have been tested by educators, kids, and families. Activity materials are easily available and inexpensive—you may already have many of them in your home! AUGMENTED REALITY PLANET WALK Don’t have the time to travel several billion miles to reach Neptune? Try dropping a scale version of the solar system outside your home to start a walk that will show you planets, dwarf planets, and asteroids. At each stop, examine the space object up close using real images from NASA. Don’t forget to take a space selfie with your favorite planet! IN OR OUT GAME Quickly scan awe-inspiring images of space objects from NASA’s Earth and space observatories to decide if the objects are in or out of the solar system. While the solar system is vast, it only represents a tiny corner of the universe. After you have mastered your solar system knowledge, challenge yourself to a new round of objects in or out of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. Funding Source This work was supported by NASA under award number 80NSSC21M0082. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these programs are those of the author and do not reflect the views of NASA. Compatibility Requires iOS 12.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone and iPad. Rated 4+.

Screenshots

Pocket AR Solar3 screens
DIY Solar System4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pocket AR Solar at 5.0 against DIY Solar System's 4.5. Pocket AR Solar also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). DIY Solar System's advantage is ratings volume (17 vs 3). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pocket AR Solar holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DIY Solar System has 17 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pocket AR Solar ships an update every 3 weeks, DIY Solar System every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Pocket AR Solar versus DIY Solar System: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPocket AR SolarDIY Solar System
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.5 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings317 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB180 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHung-Yao ChenThe Lawrence Hall of Science

Customer experience

Pocket AR Solar

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

DIY Solar System

All ratings16 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Pocket AR Solar

No in-app purchases

None

DIY Solar System

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pocket AR Solar free?
Pocket AR Solar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DIY Solar System free?
DIY Solar System is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pocket AR Solar or DIY Solar System?
Pocket AR Solar is rated higher. Pocket AR Solar averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while DIY Solar System averages 4.5 from 17 ratings.
Do Pocket AR Solar or DIY Solar System have ads?
Neither Pocket AR Solar nor DIY Solar System shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pocket AR Solar or DIY Solar System?
Pocket AR Solar ships an update every 3 weeks, and DIY Solar System every 2 months. Most recently, Pocket AR Solar was updated on November 3, 2026 and DIY Solar System on November 3, 2026.

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