Comparison

AR vs Heliosphere

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

Head to head
About

AR

Explore a realistic solar system in augmented reality. View planets and their movements up close in your environment, from your bedroom to the outdoors. A simple and immersive way to learn about space.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality solar system
  • Planet movement visualization
  • Detailed planet information
  • Immersive educational experience
  • Classroom and outdoor use
Read full description

Imagine yourself immersed in a solar system and watch closely every movement of planets as you want them to be. A cool and simple way of viewing the solar system! With AR - Solar System, you can explore science in whole new dimension. And look up for the details of every planet. This uses apple's new ARkit, through which you can delve into solar system wherever you want, whether it is your bedroom, classroom and outdoor garden.

About

Heliosphere

Explore a real-time 3D simulation of the solar system, planets, moons, and spacecraft using accurate astronomical data. Learn about celestial bodies and space missions with educational content and quizzes.

Highlights
  • Real-time 3D solar system simulation
  • Live spacecraft tracking
  • Deep sky exploration
  • Comprehensive astronomy education
  • Time travel from 1900 to 2100
  • Planet-centric viewing mode
Features
Read full description

Explore the solar system at your fingertips. Heliosphere is a real-time 3D solar system simulation powered by NASA JPL Horizons data. It accurately recreates the orbits of planets, moons, comets, and dwarf planets while tracking the real positions of active spacecraft. * Real-time 3D Solar System Simulation — 8 planets, 5 dwarf planets, 10+ moons, and 4 comets — Precise Keplerian orbit calculations based on real astronomical data — Time travel from 1900 to 2100 — Pan, zoom, and rotate for a free-roaming perspective — Switch to planet-centric viewing mode * Live Spacecraft Tracking — Voyager 1, 2 | Pioneer 10, 11 — Cassini | Juno | New Horizons | Parker Solar Probe — Real position data from NASA JPL Horizons API * Deep Sky Exploration — Over 150 bright stars — 530 Milky Way stars — 124 deep-sky objects (Messier, NGC/IC catalogs) * Comprehensive Astronomy Education — 6 difficulty levels from middle school to graduate — Core concepts: Kepler's Laws, gravity, escape velocity, and more — Mission timelines for Voyager, Cassini, New Horizons, and others — 60+ quiz questions to test your knowledge — Historical space event date-guessing challenges * Free for Everyone — All content available at no cost — No ads — 11 languages supported Experience the beauty of the cosmos and the wonder of science through scientifically accurate data and intuitive interaction.

Screenshots

AR4 screens
Heliosphere4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: AR at 100% against Heliosphere's 50%. AR also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). Heliosphere's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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. Heliosphere sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. AR asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AR holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of AR's written reviews are positive against 50% of Heliosphere's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AR ships an update every 5 months, Heliosphere every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
AR versus Heliosphere: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterARHeliosphere
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Vision Pro
Requires iOS11.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAkshat GoelCHUNGKIL KIM

Customer experience

AR

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Heliosphere

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

AR

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Heliosphere

One-time3
  • 1 Coffee$2.99
  • 3 Coffees$8.99
  • 5 Coffees$14.99

Questions

Is AR free?
AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Heliosphere free?
Heliosphere is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AR or Heliosphere?
AR is rated higher. AR averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Heliosphere averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do AR or Heliosphere have ads?
Neither AR nor Heliosphere shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AR or Heliosphere?
AR ships an update every 5 months, and Heliosphere every 3 days. Most recently, AR was updated on October 24, 2026 and Heliosphere on October 24, 2026.

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