# The Optimists Books vs Planetary Hours + Widget

The clearest difference is price: Planetary Hours + Widget at Free against The Optimists Books's $0.99. Planetary Hours + Widget also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (927 vs 26). The Optimists Books's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (88% vs 75%). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Planetary Hours + Widget is free to download; The Optimists Books costs $0.99 up front. Planetary Hours + Widget sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. The Optimists Books asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for The Optimists Books against 4.8 for Planetary Hours + Widget. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Planetary Hours + Widget has 927 ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of The Optimists Books's written reviews are positive against 75% of Planetary Hours + Widget's.

The Optimists Books ships an update every 2 months, Planetary Hours + Widget weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Optimists Books | Planetary Hours + Widget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-optimists-books/id1464944605/reviews)** | [4.8 (927 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetary-hours-plus-widget/id1517281147/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 26 | **927** |
| Positive reviews | **87.5% of reviews** | 75.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 12 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bryan Hall](https://appshunter.io/developer/1464944604) | [MERT KACMAZ](https://appshunter.io/developer/1003366866) |

## What reviewers say

### The Optimists Books

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-optimists-books/id1464944605)

Access uplifting messages and prayers from two classic books published in the early 1900s. This app provides daily inspiration, allowing you to search, sort, and share messages to foster a more positive outlook.

**Highlights:** Daily inspirational messages, Non-denominational prayers, Search and sort messages, Save favorite messages, Share messages with others, Ad-free experience

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Planetary Hours + Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetary-hours-plus-widget/id1517281147)

Discover the ancient astrological system of planetary hours. Each hour is influenced by a specific planet, carrying unique energies and characteristics. Use this knowledge to choose favorable times for your plans and enhance your success and happiness.

**Highlights:** Planetary hours system, Chaldean order of planets, Planet energy influence, Favorable timing for plans, Astrology clock, Widget functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Planetary Hours Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Planetary Hours Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Handy tool
- 👍 Beautifully laid out and easy to use
- 👍 Practical and useful
- 👍 Helps track planetary hours
- 👍 Excellent app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Widget and Apple Watch complications not working properly
- 🐛 Scrolling issues in the app
- 🐛 Location update issues
- 🐛 App seems abandoned with no recent updates
- 🐛 Confusing and not very functional

**Reported bugs**

- Widget and Apple Watch complications show incorrect planetary information
- Scrolling issues prevent viewing full descriptions
- Location update functionality not working properly
- App seems abandoned with no updates in over 2 years

**Requested features**

- Add ability to add notes/reminders for each day-hour combination
- Show names of upcoming planets on the main screen
- Add a table view to show the whole day's planetary hours
- Provide more astrological information and examples of how to use the app
- Add moon phase and full moon name/meaning information


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Optimists Books free?

The Optimists Books costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Planetary Hours + Widget free?

Planetary Hours + Widget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Optimists Books or Planetary Hours + Widget?

The Optimists Books is rated higher. The Optimists Books averages 4.8 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Planetary Hours + Widget averages 4.8 from 927 ratings.

### Do The Optimists Books or Planetary Hours + Widget have ads?

Neither The Optimists Books nor Planetary Hours + Widget shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Optimists Books or Planetary Hours + Widget?

The Optimists Books ships an update every 2 months, and Planetary Hours + Widget weekly. Most recently, The Optimists Books was updated on October 24, 2026 and Planetary Hours + Widget on October 29, 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.*