# Planets AR vs Rocket Simulator

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Planets AR at 86% against Rocket Simulator's 10%. Planets AR also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.8) and ads (none vs shown). Rocket Simulator's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 40 months) and ratings volume (422 vs 78). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Planets AR sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Rocket Simulator sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Planets AR holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rocket Simulator has 422 ratings behind it against 78, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Planets AR's written reviews are positive against 10% of Rocket Simulator's.

Planets AR ships an update every 40 months, Rocket Simulator every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planets AR | Rocket Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (78 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planets-ar-solar-system-3d/id1494640887/reviews)** | [3.8 (422 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rocket-simulator-spaceflight/id1624406379/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 78 | **422** |
| Positive reviews | **85.7% of reviews** | 10.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 40 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 120 MB | 280 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Darren Tracey](https://appshunter.io/developer/1494640886) | [Education Terra](https://appshunter.io/developer/946819038) |

## What reviewers say

### Planets AR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planets-ar-solar-system-3d/id1494640887)

Explore the solar system in augmented reality, bringing planets and their orbits to life. Discover detailed facts and high-definition surface images for each celestial body. Witness the dynamic movement of planets rotating and revolving around the sun.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality solar system visualization, Planet orbits and rotation simulation, Detailed planet facts, High-definition planet surface images, Full solar system view

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock all features | $4.99 | one-time |


### Rocket Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rocket-simulator-spaceflight/id1624406379)

Build and launch your own rockets in augmented reality. Assemble various rocket models, learn about their history and functions, and customize them with AI-generated stickers. Experience space exploration with different missions and modes.

**Highlights:** AR rocket assembly, Rocket model customization, Historical rocket information, AI sticker generation, Flight simulation, Educational facts about rockets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rocket Ship - 1 Week | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Week Subscription | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Rocket Simulator: Spaceflight | $19.99 | per month |
| Rocket Ship Building & Launch | $20.99 | per year |
| 3 Months Subscription | $20.99 | per 3 months |
| 2 Months Subscription | $39.99 | per 2 months |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Cool concept
- 👍 Epic game
- 👍 Nice
- 👍 Good game
- 👍 Great game!

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Pay to play
- 💸 Subscription required
- 💸 Expensive
- 💸 Misleading free trial
- 💸 Unusable without payment

**Reported bugs**

- Parts don't connect
- No command center on launch
- Rocket goes to sky and mission complete
- Animations not shown correctly
- Slow rollout animation

**Requested features**

- Add command center
- Add space exploration
- Add more to the game
- Add staging and space rocket control
- Add other planets to land on


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planets AR free?

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

### Is Rocket Simulator free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Planets AR or Rocket Simulator?

Planets AR is rated higher. Planets AR averages 4.5 out of 5 from 78 ratings, while Rocket Simulator averages 3.8 from 422 ratings.

### Do Planets AR or Rocket Simulator have ads?

Rocket Simulator shows ads; Planets AR does not.

### Which is updated more often, Planets AR or Rocket Simulator?

Planets AR ships an update every 40 months, and Rocket Simulator every 2 months. Most recently, Planets AR was updated on October 1, 2026 and Rocket Simulator on October 12, 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.*