Comparison

DIY Solar System vs Planets AR

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
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+.

About

Planets AR

Explore our solar system with an augmented reality experience. See planets, moons, and dwarf planets come to life in your room or the night sky. Learn fascinating facts and take photos for school projects.

Highlights
  • Augmented Reality solar system visualization
  • Interactive planet controls
  • Night mode for stargazing
  • Detailed planet information
  • Capture photos of celestial bodies
  • Talking planets for guidance
Features
Read full description

Planets AR is like a spaceship that takes you on a magical journey through our incredible solar system! You'll meet all the planets, moons, and even some mysterious dwarf planets, as if you're an astronaut in outer space! But, this isn't just any ordinary journey! With our app's incredible Augmented Reality technology, you'll be able to see them right in front of your eyes, even in low-light conditions, making it an unforgettable experience! And if you prefer stargazing, you can even see them in the night sky with night mode. You can be amazed to learn that Saturn's rings were made up of ice particles and that Pluto was a dwarf planet that used to be classified as the ninth planet, as well as its history and significance in our understanding of the universe. Learning about the cosmos will become fun and easy. With just a few taps, you can snap a picture of the planets. Imagine the looks of admiration from your teacher and classmates as you present stunning, lifelike pictures for your school projects and homework. This incredible augmented reality app will elevate your work to new heights, making you the star of the classroom. But that's not all, our app is more than that - it's also a teacher! Each planet speaks its name and tells you about itself, so you can learn amazing facts and see detailed information about each planet, dwarf planet, and moon. And don't worry, you won't be alone on this journey - our Talking Planets will guide you every step of the way! So, if you're ready to blast off on an adventure to explore the wonders of our solar system, our app is the perfect spaceship for you! You'll have a blast while learning about the incredible universe that surrounds us. Discover the wonders of space through: - The Sun and our Solar System, which includes eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. - Dwarf planets, such as Pluto, Ceres, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris may be small in size but are big in intrigue. - Moons, including Earth's Moon, Europa, Ganymede, Io, Callisto, Titan, Enceladus, Iapetus, Triton, and Charon, which each have their own unique features and secrets. Planet Control Made Easy: - Explore the solar system with intuitive and user-friendly controls! - Swipe your finger to rotate the planets, and drag them to move them around in the room. - Use your two fingers to pinch in and out to make the planets bigger or smaller. - With these simple controls, you can become a space explorer in no time! What People Are Saying: - "Great app for kids! Easy and interactive way of learning (though I wish they had such beautiful tech earlier)..." - Mona - "I really like the game, I can move the planets when I touch them and it seems that you have the real planets next to it." - Salvador Gonzalez Janeiro - "It is a really cool app. I like how you can see how long a year and day is. Who ever made this app thank you." - Morgan Sisk - "Excellent, this sort of thing is hard to find.." - NVB9 Connect with us: - Visit us at https://planetsar.agrmayank.com/ or check out our other apps at https://studios.agrmayank.com/. - Have any questions or suggestions? Reach out at contact@agrmayank.com and we'll be happy to help. - Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AgrMayankStudios, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/agrmayankstudios/, Twitter at https://twitter.com/AgrMayankStudio/, and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/agrmayankstudios/ to stay up to date.

Screenshots

DIY Solar System4 screens
Planets AR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: DIY Solar System at 4.5 against Planets AR's 3.7. DIY Solar System also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). Planets AR's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and device support 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. Planets AR sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. DIY Solar System asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DIY Solar System holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 6 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DIY Solar System ships an update every 2 months, Planets AR daily. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
DIY Solar System versus Planets AR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDIY Solar SystemPlanets AR
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (17 ratings) — better3.7 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings17 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsDaily — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size180 MB343 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Lawrence Hall of ScienceMayank Raj

Customer experience

DIY Solar System

All ratings16 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Planets AR

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

DIY Solar System

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Planets AR

One-time2
  • Remove Watermark$0.99
  • Remove Ads$2.99

Questions

Is DIY Solar System free?
DIY Solar System is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Planets AR free?
Planets AR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DIY Solar System or Planets AR?
DIY Solar System is rated higher. DIY Solar System averages 4.5 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Planets AR averages 3.7 from 6 ratings.
Do DIY Solar System or Planets AR have ads?
Planets AR shows ads; DIY Solar System does not.
Which is updated more often, DIY Solar System or Planets AR?
DIY Solar System ships an update every 2 months, and Planets AR daily. Most recently, DIY Solar System was updated on November 3, 2026 and Planets AR on November 4, 2026.

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