Comparison

Planet Fun 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

Planet Fun

Explore a 4D solar system simulation with accurate astronomical calculations for planets, moons, and stars. Interact with the celestial bodies using touch gestures, set any date and time, and even view your GPS position in augmented reality.

Highlights
  • 4D solar system simulation
  • Configurable animation speed
  • Augmented reality mode
  • Almanac module with ephemeris calculators
  • Touch gesture controls
  • Star and constellation visualization
Features
Read full description

PlanetFun is a 4D solar system simulation (3D + time) Sun, planets, Moon and star positions are calculated using various astronomical methods. App source code (Delphi Firemonkey) is available at: https://github.com/omarreis/vsop2013 PlanetFun features: * Solar system animation with configurable speed * Set any local date and time * Choose camera target (Sun, planets, etc) * Configurable camera distance-to-target * Touch gestures: one finger pan, two finger zoom, two finger rotation * show planet orbits. Each orbit is represented by 52 dots (for Earth it is one dot per week) * Heliocentric axis (x and z) * VSOP2013 and VSOP87 planet position calculations * Moon positions calculations ELP2000 * Star background image with 42455 stars of the Hipparcos Input Catalogue * Star and constellation lines and names ( a celestial sphere image ) * Constellation drawings ( 31 constellations ) * actual 3D spheres for the 150 brightest stars * Lighthouse on Earth on your GPS position * phone in the scene is positioned according to phone sensors (Azimuth,Elevation,Roll) * click the phone button to enter augmented reality mode. * Almanac module allows exploring the ephemeris calculators (stars, planets, Sun, Moon, Earth) controls: * camera distance and angle of view. * planet scales * local time, time animation speed * control visibility of various interface elements * app uses sensors compass, gyro and GPS - requires permission This app collects no user data.

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

Planet Fun4 screens
DIY Solar System4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Planet Fun at 4.8 against DIY Solar System's 4.5. Planet Fun also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Planet Fun holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 16 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Planet Fun ships an update every 4 weeks, DIY Solar System every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 4, 2026 and June 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Planet Fun versus DIY Solar System: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlanet FunDIY Solar System
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (8 ratings) — better4.5 (16 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings816 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size161 MB180 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOmar reisThe Lawrence Hall of Science

Customer experience

Planet Fun

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral12.5%
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

None

Planet Fun

No in-app purchases

None

DIY Solar System

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Planet Fun free?
Planet Fun is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DIY Solar System free?
DIY Solar System is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Planet Fun or DIY Solar System?
Planet Fun is rated higher. Planet Fun averages 4.8 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while DIY Solar System averages 4.5 from 16 ratings.
Do Planet Fun or DIY Solar System have ads?
Neither Planet Fun nor DIY Solar System shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Planet Fun or DIY Solar System?
Planet Fun ships an update every 4 weeks, and DIY Solar System every 2 months. Most recently, Planet Fun was updated on June 4, 2026 and DIY Solar System on June 3, 2026.

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