# Planetaria vs Space Gate

The clearest difference is price: Planetaria at $4.99 against Space Gate's $12.99. Planetaria also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3). Space Gate's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 50%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months). On rating, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Planetaria costs $4.99 and Space Gate $12.99 up front. Space Gate sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Planetaria asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Planetaria against 4.8 for Space Gate. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Space Gate has 200 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Planetaria's written reviews are positive against 86% of Space Gate's.

Planetaria ships an update every 5 months, Space Gate weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 2, 2026 and August 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planetaria | Space Gate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$4.99** | $12.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetaria-space-simulator/id1546887479/reviews) | **[4.8 (200 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-gate-ar-solar-system/id6474214531/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **200** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **85.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 510 MB | 156 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joseph Rupertus](https://appshunter.io/developer/1610637143) | [Ali Samaei](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721049950) |

## What reviewers say

### Planetaria

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetaria-space-simulator/id1546887479)

Explore a dynamic 3D model of the Solar System, synchronizing with real-time data to show celestial bodies in orbit. Discover planets, dwarf planets, and moons with detailed surface models. Manipulate time to view past and future solar system configurations.

**Highlights:** Interactive 3D Solar System model, Real-time celestial body positions, Detailed 3D surface models, Explore planets, dwarf planets, and moons, Time manipulation (past/future), AR integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Space Gate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-gate-ar-solar-system/id6474214531)

Explore the universe with interactive 3D and AR experiences of the solar system. Discover celestial bodies, engage with live astronomy news, and even interact with black holes. Tailored for learning and education.

**Highlights:** 3D and AR solar system exploration, Interactive black hole simulations, Live astronomy magazine, Educational celestial catalogs, Capture and save celestial snapshots

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $6.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Subscription | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Stunning 3D graphics and visual quality
- 🌍 Immersive AR experience for exploring planets
- 📚 Comprehensive educational content about space
- 🎓 Excellent tool for teachers and students
- 📸 Screenshot/snapshot capture functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Misleading free-to-play pricing model
- 🔒 Unexpected in-app purchase charges
- 🎮 Unintuitive navigation and UI
- 🐛 Orbital mechanics inaccuracies
- 🌙 Moon tidal locking not correctly simulated

**Reported bugs**

- Moon not tidally locked to Earth
- Moon orbiting Earth in wrong direction
- Planets orbiting sun in opposing/incorrect directions
- Uranus moons glitched
- Venus orbital speed faster than Mercury

**Requested features**

- Ability to set any planet as immobile center point
- More free planets without paywall
- Additional galaxies beyond solar system
- Toggle for planet/moon/star name labels
- Time-lapse function with variable speeds


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planetaria free?

Planetaria costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Space Gate free?

Space Gate costs $12.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Planetaria or Space Gate?

Space Gate is rated higher. Planetaria averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Space Gate averages 4.8 from 200 ratings.

### Do Planetaria or Space Gate have ads?

Neither Planetaria nor Space Gate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Planetaria or Space Gate?

Planetaria ships an update every 5 months, and Space Gate weekly. Most recently, Planetaria was updated on September 2, 2026 and Space Gate on August 1, 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.*