Planetaria vs BuggyBox
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Planetaria
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.
- 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
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Explore the celestial worlds of the Solar System with Planetaria, an interactive 3D simulator experience for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro. This dynamic scale model of the Solar System synchronizes with real-time data to display the live positions of celestial bodies in their orbits, along with beautiful and detailed 3D models of their surfaces. On your journey through outer space, you can visit the Sun, the 8 planets, 5 dwarf planets, and over 20 major moons. Entire worlds await your discovery, each with their own individual features and environments. You can also fast-forward or rewind time, and see what the Solar System looks like at any time in the past or future. Photos and 3D models provided by NASA/JPL.
BuggyBox
Explore the world of insects by identifying and collecting them with your device's camera. Discover fascinating facts about each bug and watch them come to life in augmented reality. Designed for young explorers, it offers a safe and engaging way to learn about nature.
- Camera-based bug identification
- Augmented reality bug encounters
- Digital bug collection and field guide
- Educational facts about insects
- Offline play
- Parental gate for settings
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There's a bug right outside your door, and it has a secret. BuggyBox turns any walk, garden, or playground into a treasure hunt — point the camera at a creepy-crawly and watch it come to life. SNAP IT Spot a bug, frame it, tap. BuggyBox figures out what it is — ladybug or roly-poly, dragonfly or shield bug — across 20 kinds of backyard bugs. DISCOVER IT Every find bursts onto the screen with its name and amazing true facts. Did you know a ladybug can eat 5,000 aphids in its lifetime? Or that butterflies taste with their feet? Every fact can be read aloud, so even pre-readers can explore on their own. COLLECT THEM ALL Each catch lands in your child's Bug Box with their own photo of the moment — where they found it, and when. Fill the field guide, earn badges, and hunt for the rare and legendary finds. A new Bug of the Day gives explorers a reason to head back outside tomorrow. WATCH THEM COME ALIVE Place any bug from your collection in your room with AR mode and watch it wander around. Give it a poke — it wiggles. BUILT FOR FAMILIES • No ads, no in-app purchases, no chat, no accounts • Bug photos and collections stay on your device; nothing is ever stored on our servers • Settings live behind a parental gate • Every explorer in the family gets their own profile and Bug Box • Reviewed, age-tuned facts — short and friendly for little ones, full field-guide detail for bigger kids • Read-aloud everywhere, gentle on young readers Made for curious explorers ages 5 and up — and the grown-ups who get dragged outside to see what they found. BuggyBox was dreamed up by Viks, a real bug-loving kid — and built for him, with love.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: BuggyBox at Free against Planetaria's $4.99. BuggyBox also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Planetaria's advantage is ratings volume (9 vs 2) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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
BuggyBox is free to download; Planetaria costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
BuggyBox holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 2 respectively.
Planetaria ships an update every 5 months, BuggyBox every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Planetaria | BuggyBox |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (9 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 9 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 510 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Joseph Rupertus | Sneha Menon |
Customer experience
Planetaria
BuggyBox
In-app purchases
Planetaria
No in-app purchases
BuggyBox
No in-app purchases









