Comparison

Air Moon vs DIY Solar System

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

Head to head
About

Air Moon

Explore lunar phases and Earth's phases in augmented reality. Walk around celestial bodies to intuitively understand their cycles. Adjust Earth's rotation, position, and view from different hemispheres.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality moon and Earth phase visualization
  • Adjustable Earth rotation speed
  • Switch between real and simplified ratios
  • View from Northern and Southern Hemispheres
  • Set Earth's position for solstices and equinoxes
  • Set moon phases (full, quarter, new)
  • Adjust viewpoint latitude and longitude
Read full description

Do you want to see "the phases of the moon" in front of you? Walk around to the back of the moon, and on the contrary, see the "phases of the earth" from the moon Even if you can't put it into words, you may intuitively understand why the phases of the moon occurs One unfortunate thing is that the existence of rabbit on the moon is uncertain yet ... I'm sorry: p) By the way, Augmented Reality (AR) function is not good at fast movement, so please move iPhone slowly --- May the Moon be with you [What you can do] === You === - Move slowly with your iPhone === Main screen === - Acceleration of the rotation of the earth (faster and faster) - Stop rotation - Reset rotation (R button) - Switch between R (real ratio mode) and M (reasy to understand) - Switch between Southern Hemisphere and Northern One - Auxiliary on / off ( * When you chose R-mode ( Real distance ratio mode) in the app, at first press R button (= reset) and then rotate the earth please.) - Clear Screen (AirMoon logo button) === Position setting screen === - Earth position setting (summer solstice / autumn solstice / winter solstice / spring equinox) - Setting the moon position (full moon, first quarter moon, last quarter month, new moon) - Setting of viewpoint on the earth (latitude / longitude)

About

DIY Solar System

Explore the solar system with interactive activities and an augmented reality planet walk. Learn about space travel, design a moon base, and identify celestial objects. Developed by leading science institutions, this app makes learning about space engaging for families and educators.

Highlights
  • Interactive space activities
  • Augmented reality planet walk
  • Design a moon base
  • Grow a space garden
  • Control a Mars rover
  • In or Out space game
  • NASA imagery
Features
Read full description

DIY Solar System makes it easy for families and educators to explore the solar system from anywhere, anytime! The app was developed by the Children’s Creativity Museum, Sciencenter, and Museum of Life and Science, in partnership with UC Berkeley’s The Lawrence Hall of Science. INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES DIY Solar System includes 11 easy-to-use activities to learn about space travel, living in space, and the unique objects that make up the planetary system we call home. Design a Moon base, grow your own space garden, or experience what it’s like to control a rover on Mars! Each activity includes step-by-step instructions that have been tested by educators, kids, and families. Activity materials are easily available and inexpensive—you may already have many of them in your home! AUGMENTED REALITY PLANET WALK Don’t have the time to travel several billion miles to reach Neptune? Try dropping a scale version of the solar system outside your home to start a walk that will show you planets, dwarf planets, and asteroids. At each stop, examine the space object up close using real images from NASA. Don’t forget to take a space selfie with your favorite planet! IN OR OUT GAME Quickly scan awe-inspiring images of space objects from NASA’s Earth and space observatories to decide if the objects are in or out of the solar system. While the solar system is vast, it only represents a tiny corner of the universe. After you have mastered your solar system knowledge, challenge yourself to a new round of objects in or out of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. Funding Source This work was supported by NASA under award number 80NSSC21M0082. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these programs are those of the author and do not reflect the views of NASA. Compatibility Requires iOS 12.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone and iPad. Rated 4+.

Screenshots

Air Moon3 screens
DIY Solar System4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DIY Solar System at none against Air Moon's 1. DIY Solar System also leads on ratings volume (17 vs 5). Air Moon's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, update cadence, 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. Air Moon sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. DIY Solar System asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Air Moon holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 17 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Air Moon ships an update every 6 weeks, DIY Solar System every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Air Moon versus DIY Solar System: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAir MoonDIY Solar System
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5 ratings) — better4.5 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings517 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.212.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB180 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMITSURU OMURAThe Lawrence Hall of Science

Customer experience

Air Moon

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

DIY Solar System

All ratings16 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Air Moon

One-time1
  • Heart Icon$0.99
None

DIY Solar System

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Air Moon free?
Air Moon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DIY Solar System free?
DIY Solar System is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Air Moon or DIY Solar System?
Air Moon is rated higher. Air Moon averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while DIY Solar System averages 4.5 from 17 ratings.
Do Air Moon or DIY Solar System have ads?
Neither Air Moon nor DIY Solar System shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Air Moon or DIY Solar System?
Air Moon ships an update every 6 weeks, and DIY Solar System every 2 months. Most recently, Air Moon was updated on October 8, 2026 and DIY Solar System on October 24, 2026.

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