# Near vs Solstice

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Solstice at 85% against Near's 0%. Solstice also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and rating (4.8 vs 3.0). Near's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.5). On update cadence, ads and chart position there is nothing between them.

Solstice is free to download; Near costs $0.99 up front. Solstice sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Near asks for nothing beyond the download.

Solstice holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Solstice has 80 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Near's written reviews are positive against 85% of Solstice's.

Near ships an update every 5 weeks, Solstice every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Near | Solstice |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/near-earth-asteroids-tracker/id1418690696/reviews) | **[4.8 (80 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solstice/id1547580907/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **80** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **85.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#79** | #194 |
| Size | 4 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandr Balyberdin](https://appshunter.io/developer/336185043) | [Dan Eden](https://appshunter.io/developer/508167369) |

## What reviewers say

### Near

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/near-earth-asteroids-tracker/id1418690696)

**Currently charting:** #79 Top Paid · Weather (US App Store)

Explore near-Earth objects, potentially hazardous asteroids, and fireball events on an interactive worldwide map. Get detailed information on asteroid orbits, impact risk data, and track close approaches to Earth. Search NASA's asteroid database and visualize hazard percentages.

**Highlights:** Interactive Fireball Map with energy visualization, Detailed asteroid and orbit information, Impact Risk data and collision assessment, Search NASA's asteroid database, Track close approaches, Visual distance indicators, Hazard percentage calculation

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Solstice

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solstice/id1547580907)

**Currently charting:** #194 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

Track daily daylight changes in your location and see monthly projections. Explore daylight variations across different global locations and over time. Receive notifications and use widgets to stay informed about upcoming daylight.

**Highlights:** Daily daylight change comparison, Monthly daylight projections, Time Travel feature, Multi-location comparison, Daily notifications, Widgets

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $5.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Beautiful and clean design
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 💡 Informative and detailed data
- 🚀 Fast and seamless performance
- 🎁 Free and privacy-respecting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Widgets not displaying correctly
- 🐛 Notifications not sending
- 🐛 Inaccurate information (longest/shortest days inverted)
- 🐛 App hangs on cold open

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when sliding bar
- App crashes when holding any location
- Square widget displays white square with grey bars only
- Widget options not showing
- Lock screen widget progress ring shows incorrect progress

**Requested features**

- Add a month view
- Add equinox measurements and widgets
- Remember multiple locations
- Compare data for two places on the same screen
- Add automatic push notifications for sunset


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Near free?

Near costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Solstice free?

Solstice is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Near or Solstice?

Solstice is rated higher. Near averages 3.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Solstice averages 4.8 from 80 ratings.

### Do Near or Solstice have ads?

Neither Near nor Solstice shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Near or Solstice?

Near ships an update every 5 weeks, and Solstice every 2 months. Most recently, Near was updated on October 26, 2026 and Solstice on October 27, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Near or Solstice?

Near currently peaks at #79 in the App Store charts, and Solstice at #194. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*