Cosmic Atlas vs Solar System Scope VR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cosmic Atlas
Explore a vast, scientifically rendered universe with lifelike exoplanets and detailed celestial bodies. Navigate through trillions of light years with multiple exploration modes, from first-person flight to telescopic identification. Discover and learn about thousands of planets beyond our solar system.
- Explore 5,000+ lifelike exoplanets
- Navigate 180 trillion sq light years
- Six interstellar travel modes
- First-person planet view
- Scientifically accurate renderings
- Telescope identification mode
- Detailed planet information panels
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Go beyond star gazing. Visit nearly 5,000 lifelike exoplanets and navigate 180 trillion square light years of the universe beyond our solar system. Featuring 6 modes of interstellar travel and examination, Cosmic Atlas is an open-world space exploration app for those who look up at the night sky and wonder what we may find in the infinite frontier of the universe. Try it free and fly anywhere in the solar system plus six bonus planetary systems for a total of 50+ stunning planets, moons, and dwarf planets. Upgrade for all the incredible planets and features to explore every corner of the Milky Way mapped by NASA, JPL, ESA, and other international space programs. ::::: VISIT THOUSANDS OF PLANETS ::::: First-person view of 4,987 recently discovered exoplanets with stunning 3D models featuring detailed atmospheres and surfaces using science-driven artist renderings, including: [•] Potentially habitable Earth-like planets in the Habitable Zone that can support liquid water [•] Hot terrestrial planets closer to the system's star with landscapes from windswept sands to volcanic infernos or oppressive Venus-like atmospheres [•] Cold terrestrial planets past the habitable zone covered with rocks, frozen deserts, or sheets of ice [•] Jovian gas giants with colorful cloud layers based on the elements visible in the upper atmosphere at different temperatures [•] Neptunian ice giants with outer clouds that appear glassy smooth or enveloped with strings of cool clouds ::PLUS:: High resolution planets, moons, and dwarf planets in our own Solar System created from enhanced NASA mission images ::::: MASSIVE OPEN COSMIC ENVIRONMENT ::::: [•] Over 180 trillion square light years of the Milky Way ready to explore at it’s true scale [•] 116,000+ unique stars individually colored to match their true color temperature in blue, yellow, or red spectrums [•] 3,710 unique planetary systems with confirmed exoplanets [•] Scientifically accurate star positions and luminosity to see what the night sky looks like from distant worlds [•] Data-rich information panels to learn about planet attributes, parent system, discovery method, and research programs credited with its discovery [•] Flag stars and planets to easily revisit later ::::: SIX EXPLORATION MODES ::::: [New!] Telescope :: to point your phone at the sky to identify planets, stars, and distant planetary systems Pilot :: with first person flight controls and autopilot to lock trajectory toward a selected destination Orbit :: to easily navigate systems and rotate or zoom in to examine planets Navigator :: to find nearby systems and planets or revisit saved planets Database :: to browse the complete catalog find new exoplanets, planetary systems, and stars Search :: to find specific stars and exoplanets or nearby planets, moons, and dwarf planets in our solar system ::::: SETTINGS ::::: HDR Lighting :: Active by default, HDR lighting shows realistic relative brightness of stars and planets. Toggle HDR off for consistent lighting with stars and the Milky Way always visible in the background. Systems Only :: Enable to hide labels for stars without exoplanets in Pilot, Navigator, & Telescope modes. Objects with Info Only :: Enable to hide labels for stars without detailed data available. ::::: DATA SOURCES ::::: Using the latest exoplanet data from programs by NASA and the European Space Agency, Cosmic Atlas is a true-to-scale 3D environment where users can freely explore our small section Milky Way galaxy and examine thousands of newly discovered stars and exoplanets. The latest planetary system data is collected from a number of public research programs, including the University of Puerto Rico's Planetary Habitability Laboratory and the NASA Exoplanet Archive, which is operated by the California Institute of Technology, under contract with NASA under the Exoplanet Exploration Program.
Solar System Scope VR
Explore breathtaking destinations within our solar system in virtual reality. Experience the sensation of walking on the Moon or Mars, visit the ISS, and view the night sky from your exact location. Works with or without VR glasses.
- Virtual solar system exploration
- Visit Moon and Mars landing sites
- Explore the International Space Station (ISS)
- View night sky from current location
- Works with VR glasses and phone screen
- In development with new features planned
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SolarVR is a new experimental virtual reality (VR) app from the creators of popular Solar System Scope application. SolarVR allows you to literally visit and explore several stunning destinations in our solar system. - Be blown off by the Solar System Virtual Reality Have you ever been curious about the place where the Apollo 11 landed? What about the Curiosity rover? Does your mind often play with the thoughts of how the walking on the Moon or on the Mars feels like? Well, now nothing stands in the way of your thirst to explore. - Not enough? There is also a possibility to visit ISS on its actual position. And furthermore you can scout the virtual night sky exactly as it looks like from your actual position. Pretty cool, right? - It works with and without VR glasses SolarVR operates best with the VR glasses, as it will provide the sensation of being directly in the space. If using VR glasses is not an option for you, this app will turn your phone into a direct window into the space and you can still enjoy similarly great views. - Note SolarVR is still in development, so you can look forward for new features and destinations to visit. - Please give us your feedback If you like our app, or you have some ideas what would you like us to improve, please give our App a rating and a review. We would appreciate it :)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cosmic Atlas at 59% against Solar System Scope VR's 14%. Cosmic Atlas also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 39 months). Solar System Scope VR's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.7). On price, ratings volume, 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
Both are free to download. Cosmic Atlas sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Solar System Scope VR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Solar System Scope VR holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 65 and 29 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of Cosmic Atlas's written reviews are positive against 14% of Solar System Scope VR's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Cosmic Atlas ships an update every 3 weeks, Solar System Scope VR every 39 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cosmic Atlas | Solar System Scope VR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (65 ratings) | 4.4 (29 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 58.5% of reviews — better | 14.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 65 — better | 29 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 39 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 147 MB | 154 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cosmic Atlas LLC | INOVE, s.r.o. |
Customer experience
Cosmic Atlas
Solar System Scope VR
Bugs and requests
Cosmic Atlas
Reported bugs
8 issues- App crashes upon opening
- Kicked out of the game
- Cannot connect to server
- Error that doesn't let user in
- Planets brighten up unexpectedly
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- Dark side of planets brightens up
- Cannot buy upgrades
- App became free after purchase, now requires new purchase for features
Requested features
7 requests- Add more solar system objects
- Fix Haumea's shape
- Add more candidates, dwarf moons, hypothetical objects, spacecrafts, anomalies, random asteroids, meteoroids, and comets
- Add ability to go into planets and see a preview
- Add more galaxies to travel to
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- Add a search page/bar
- Add control for enlarging text
Solar System Scope VR
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Cosmic Atlas
- Premium Features$0.99
Solar System Scope VR
- Additional VR views / HQ Maps$5.99
Questions
Is Cosmic Atlas free?
Is Solar System Scope VR free?
Which has better reviews, Cosmic Atlas or Solar System Scope VR?
Do Cosmic Atlas or Solar System Scope VR have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cosmic Atlas or Solar System Scope VR?
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