# Planets vs Smithsonian

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Planets at none against Smithsonian's 2. Smithsonian's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 72 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smithsonian sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Planets asks for nothing beyond the download.

Planets ships an update every 72 months, Smithsonian every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planets | Smithsonian |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planets-home-solar-system/id1521122945/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4** | — |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 72 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 8 MB | 285 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eran Katsav](https://appshunter.io/developer/656314140) | [PlayDate Digital Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/652113715) |

## What reviewers say

### Planets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planets-home-solar-system/id1521122945)

Explore the solar system from your home with this augmented reality app. Place planets anywhere, walk around them, and examine their real surfaces up close. Experience the vastness of space without leaving your house.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality planet placement, Explore real planet surfaces, Walk through the solar system, Interactive planet exploration, Place planets anywhere

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Smithsonian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-planets/id6504839302)

Explore the solar system with interactive games and animations. Learn fascinating facts about planets, moons, and the asteroid belt. Designed for curious young minds to introduce astronomy basics.

**Highlights:** Fascinating facts about the solar system, Mini games like Space Winter Rush, Interactive activities, Educational animations, Read to Me text, Collect planet badges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy 5 Planets | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planets free?

Planets is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Smithsonian free?

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

### Do Planets or Smithsonian have ads?

Neither Planets nor Smithsonian shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Planets or Smithsonian?

Planets ships an update every 72 months, and Smithsonian every 3 months. Most recently, Planets was updated on October 24, 2026 and Smithsonian on October 9, 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.*