ARPlanets 2 vs VR Universe
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ARPlanets 2
Explore the augmented reality Solar System with interactive 3D models and intuitive gestures. Learn basic and advanced astronomy concepts through engaging AR lessons.
- Augmented reality Solar System exploration
- Interactive 3D model manipulation
- Discover celestial body details
- AR-based astronomy lessons
- User-friendly interface
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Introducing ARPlanets 2! Completely rewritten from scratch to offer the ultimate user experience this app will bring the entire augmented reality Solar System into your pocket! The AR user experience is of the highest level with total control of the models thanks to intuitive gestures. The new great AR Lessons section will teach you with nice lessons in augmented reality basic astronomy concepts such as Kepler's Laws up to advanced notions such as differential photometry. Learning has never been so beautiful! -> Main features - User friendly user interface aimed at offering the maximum user experience - Completely manipulate 3D models thanks to very simple gestures. - Discover the names of the most interesting areas of the Moon, Mars and Jupiter simply by getting closer with your phone! - Learn notions of basic astronomy in augmented reality such as the Earth-Moon system and Kepler's Laws up to advanced topics such as differential photometry thanks to the AR Lessons section! Learning has never been so beautiful!
VR Universe
Explore the universe with interactive augmented and virtual reality experiences. Learn about space, planets, and the International Space Station through hands-on projects like building a planetarium and launching a rocket. Bring educational content to life by holding your device over a special book.
- Augmented and virtual reality experiences
- Interactive space exploration
- Hands-on science projects
- Learn about planets and the solar system
- Bring educational content to life
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Join Professor Maxwell to explore the wonders of our universe with dozens of projects that come alive in augmented and virtual reality! Journey through space to learn about the Sun, our Solar System, planets, the International Space Station and more while experiencing it first-hand in immersive VR. Then get hands on with projects including launching a rocket, building a planetarium and creating a sundial to tell the time, all in Professor Maxwell’s VR Universe! To activate the experiences, simply download the app and hold your phone over the book included in the kit to see Professor Maxwell come to life!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: VR Universe at 4.1 against ARPlanets 2's 3.3. VR Universe also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). ARPlanets 2's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. ARPlanets 2 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. VR Universe asks for nothing beyond the download.
VR Universe holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 30 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of ARPlanets 2's written reviews are positive against 60% of VR Universe's.
ARPlanets 2 ships an update every 6 weeks, VR Universe every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ARPlanets 2 | VR Universe |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (15 ratings) | 4.1 (30 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | 60.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 15 | 30 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 423 MB | 1.2 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Daniele Citi | Abacus |
Customer experience
ARPlanets 2
VR Universe
In-app purchases
ARPlanets 2
- Full Access AR$1.99
VR Universe
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ARPlanets 2 free?
Is VR Universe free?
Which has better reviews, ARPlanets 2 or VR Universe?
Do ARPlanets 2 or VR Universe have ads?
Which is updated more often, ARPlanets 2 or VR Universe?
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