# Pixel Cave 2018 vs Solar System Sim

The clearest difference is rating: Pixel Cave 2018 at 5.0 against Solar System Sim's 4.5. Pixel Cave 2018 also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). Solar System Sim's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 27 months) and ratings volume (4.1K vs 6). On price, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Solar System Sim sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Pixel Cave 2018 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pixel Cave 2018 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Solar System Sim has 4.1K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Pixel Cave 2018's written reviews are positive against 80% of Solar System Sim's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pixel Cave 2018 ships an update every 27 months, Solar System Sim every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 12, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Cave 2018 | Solar System Sim |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-cave-2018/id1327692439/reviews)** | [4.5 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-system-sim/id6447612221/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **4.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | **79.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 27 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 512 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alexander Zolotov](https://appshunter.io/developer/324462547) | [WPC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681830786) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixel Cave 2018

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-cave-2018/id1327692439)

Experience a retro-style flight simulator through a pixelated cave. Enjoy real-time synthesized music and simple one-touch controls for an immersive retro gaming experience.

**Highlights:** Retro pixel graphics and effects, Real-time synthesized music, One-touch control, Flight simulation gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Solar System Sim

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-system-sim/id6447612221)

Simulate and explore celestial bodies within our solar system and beyond. Create your own solar systems, experiment with gravity and physics, and observe orbital mechanics in action.

**Highlights:** Explore planets and moons, Visit nearby stars, Create custom solar systems, Gravity and physics simulation, Recalculate orbits, Newton's laws implementation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HD Mars | $2.99 | one-time |
| HD Earth | $2.99 | one-time |
| HD Moon | $2.99 | one-time |
| No-ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| HD 3-body pack | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Realistic simulation
- 🚀 Detailed solar system
- 🚀 Ability to create custom solar systems
- 🚀 Impressive graphics
- 🚀 Frequent updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💰 Excessive ads
- 🐛 Saving and loading issues
- 🐛 Unstable orbits

**Reported bugs**

- Planets/moons disappearing after saving and loading
- Bright flashes and screen distortions
- Planets/objects getting stuck inside stars
- Crashes when colliding or editing certain objects
- Inconsistent orbital mechanics and moons ejecting from planets

**Requested features**

- Add more galaxy and nebula textures
- Implement realistic supernova effects
- Allow customization of planet atmospheres and terrain
- Add binary star systems and rogue planets
- Introduce a galaxy maker and collision feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Cave 2018 free?

Pixel Cave 2018 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Solar System Sim free?

Solar System Sim is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pixel Cave 2018 or Solar System Sim?

Pixel Cave 2018 is rated higher. Pixel Cave 2018 averages 5.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Solar System Sim averages 4.5 from 4.1K ratings.

### Do Pixel Cave 2018 or Solar System Sim have ads?

Solar System Sim shows ads; Pixel Cave 2018 does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Cave 2018 or Solar System Sim?

Pixel Cave 2018 ships an update every 27 months, and Solar System Sim every 3 weeks. Most recently, Pixel Cave 2018 was updated on August 12, 2026 and Solar System Sim on September 24, 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.*