# Solar System Viewer vs Smithsonian

The clearest difference is price: Smithsonian at Free against Solar System Viewer's $2.99. Smithsonian also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 83%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Smithsonian is free to download; Solar System Viewer costs $2.99 up front. Solar System Viewer sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Smithsonian sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Solar System Viewer ships an update every 2 months, Smithsonian every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Solar System Viewer | Smithsonian |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.4 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-system-viewer-8planets/id1554639445/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **28** | — |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 22 MB | 285 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BLUE COMET LABS LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1492055170) | [PlayDate Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/652113715) |

## What reviewers say

### Solar System Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-system-viewer-8planets/id1554639445)

Explore and simulate the orbits of planets in our solar system. This app allows you to speed up or slow down time, travel to any date, and view planetary positions. It also offers widgets for your home screen and Apple Watch complications.

**Highlights:** Simulate planetary orbits, Adjust time speed, Time travel to specific dates, Home screen widgets, Apple Watch integration, View planet overviews

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Io Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Europa Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Ganymede Tip | $5.99 | one-time |
| Callisto Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


### 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 Solar System Viewer free?

Solar System Viewer costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Smithsonian free?

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

### Do Solar System Viewer or Smithsonian have ads?

Neither Solar System Viewer nor Smithsonian shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Solar System Viewer or Smithsonian?

Solar System Viewer ships an update every 2 months, and Smithsonian every 3 months. Most recently, Solar System Viewer was updated on October 18, 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.*