Comparison

Solar Walk vs Space Gate

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

Head to head
About

Solar Walk

Explore a detailed 3D model of our solar system and the universe. Interact with planets, moons, and satellites, and take virtual flights through space. Travel through time to see the universe's past and learn with educational movies.

Highlights
  • Interactive 3D solar system model
  • Virtual flights between celestial bodies
  • Time travel feature for historical views
  • Educational movies about space
  • Orrery and true-to-scale view modes
  • Milky Way Galaxy view
Features
Read full description

Solar Walk is an amazing 3D model of our Solar system bringing the universe to the palm of your hand and allowing you to interact with planets, satellites, moons, comets and other space objects anytime and anywhere. Start your fascinating journey through the realms of space and learn more about the universe we live in. *** Over 6 million users!*** *** National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) - GOLD winner in the Educational Tools for Parents and Children category! *** *** A Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winner *** “Simply amazing.” - Macworld “Solar Walk serves up a visually impressive 3D model of our solar system. Set against a haunting, atmospheric soundscape, the app shows planets and satellites in their correct positions, and offers mini movies, facts and other related tidbits.” - TNW “This jaw-dropping app provides a wholly interactive 3D model of our solar system, one that’s had me hooked for days. It’s the kind of thing you can imagine a science teacher using in the classroom of the future — except that we don’t have to wait.” - CNet “Zoom from Mercury to Pluto (which makes the cut in this app), passing each planet’s moons along the way. Because Solar Walk knows what time it is, the planets are in proper orientation to the Sun: Earth is dark where it is currently night and gradually lightens to daytime on the other side.” - NY Times "It's great for showing my students the relative positions of the planets in the solar system, the satellites orbiting the Earth and our place in the galaxy. Awesome with a smartboard as well." - by jbrown61 Solar Walk enables you to: ► Observe the 3D model of our Solar system with all its objects in real time and in a proper orientation. Turn into an astronomer and explore planets, moons, satellites, asteroids, dwarf planets, comets, stars and other celestial bodies. Enjoy gorgeous graphics and visuals while navigating through the solar system. ► Make virtual flights from one space object to another. ► Travel in time and see what the universe and our Solar system looked like at a certain period. ► Find an exciting view of the Milky Way Galaxy. ► Watch a collection of educational solar system movies to learn about space-related topics including Earth's moon phases, Earth's cycles, tidal phenomena, and zodiacal constellations. ► Enjoy 3D planetarium with the help of special glasses and activating the anaglyph mode. ► Share interesting screenshots of the app with your friends. ► Choose the view mode comfortable for you (orrery/true-to-scale). The app contains In-App Purchases. Solar Walk is a great educational tool appropriate for both adults and children. The amount of information users can learn about the planets, moons, satellites and other celestial bodies is impressive. All information is age-appropriate and detailed. Animated video clips will make learning about our Solar system even more engaging. Start exploring the universe with Solar Walk!

About

Space Gate

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
Read full description

Explore the Universe with Space-Gate - An Interactive Celestial Journey Discover the Wonders of Space: Dive into an awe-inspiring journey across the cosmos with Space-Gate. Our app brings the mysteries of the universe to your fingertips, offering a unique blend of education and entertainment. Whether you're a curious child, a student with a thirst for knowledge, or an astronomy enthusiast, our app is your gateway to exploring the solar system and beyond in stunning detail. Engage with live astronomy magazine: Dive into the cosmos with our app's magazine feature—your portal to the latest astronomy news, riveting space exploration stories, and learning progress, all in one place. Stunning 3D and AR Experiences: Experience the solar system like never before! With breathtaking 3D and advanced AR technology, you can navigate through the orbits of planets, witness the dance of their moons, and marvel at the beauty of our universe in high resolution. Our app isn't just a visual treat; it's a journey that brings the galaxy to life. Interact with Black Holes: Ever wondered what it’s like to interact with a black hole? Our innovative feature lets you manipulate the fabric of space-time, offering an immersive and educational experience. Using latest technologies, witness how black holes bend time, space, and even light at the touch of your finger. Educational Catalogs & Snapshots: Explore our extensive catalogs filled with fascinating information about each celestial body. Capture and save breathtaking celestial scenes, perfect for wallpapers or sharing your space exploration with friends. Tailored for Learning: Perfect for educators and parents, our app is an invaluable tool for teaching. From young minds to advanced learners. The app offers premium features as subscription plans and in app purchases. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, at the rate of your selected plan. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. During the free trial period, you can enjoy full access to all the app's features. If you decide to subscribe during the trial, any unused portion of the free trial period will be forfeited. For more information, please read terms of use: https://alpinebytes.ucraft.site/space-gate

Screenshots

Solar Walk4 screens
Space Gate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Solar Walk at $4.99 against Space Gate's $12.99. Solar Walk also leads on ratings volume (8.1K vs 200). Space Gate's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (86% vs 72%). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Solar Walk costs $4.99 and Space Gate $12.99 up front. Solar Walk sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Space Gate sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Solar Walk against 4.8 for Space Gate. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Solar Walk has 8.1K ratings behind it against 200, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of Solar Walk's written reviews are positive against 86% of Space Gate's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Solar Walk ships an update every 5 months, Space Gate weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Solar Walk versus Space Gate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSolar WalkSpace Gate
Price$4.99 — better$12.99
Rating4.7 (8.1K ratings)4.8 (200 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.2% of reviews85.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8.1K — better200
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size451 MB156 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVito Technology Inc.Ali Samaei

Customer experience

Solar Walk

All ratings8,149 ratings
Positive93.1%
Neutral3.5%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews461 reviews
Positive72.2%
Neutral7.2%
Negative20.6%

Space Gate

All ratings200 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral1.0%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews134 reviews
Positive85.8%
Neutral3.0%
Negative11.2%

User reviews

Solar Walk

From 8.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Excellent graphics and visuals
  • 🔍 Detailed information about the solar system
  • 🌍 Ability to explore the planets and moons
  • 🎥 Informative videos and animations
  • 🧠 Educational and informative for all ages

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases required to unlock full features
  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes reported, especially after updates
  • 🕹️ Navigation and controls can be unintuitive
  • 🌌 Limited to just the solar system, no other galaxies or deep space

Space Gate

From 200 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

Solar Walk

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on launch for some users
  • In-app purchases not working correctly
  • Freezing and performance issues on older devices
  • Incorrect planet/moon positioning and timing

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more planets, moons, and objects to the solar system
  • Expand to include other star systems and galaxies
  • Improve navigation and controls for easier exploration
  • Offer more free content instead of paid add-ons
  • Fix reported bugs and crashes

Space Gate

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • 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
Show 6 more
  • Navigation stuck on celestial objects (e.g., Phobos)
  • Unable to exit and return to main menu
  • In-app purchase restoration issues between devices
  • Moon rotates multiple times per orbit
  • Difficulty backing out of exploration mode
  • Mercury translation error in Turkish

Requested features

12 requests
  • 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
Show 7 more
  • More interactive black hole visualization
  • Astrology-related content
  • Improved moon orbit accuracy
  • Correct planetary orbital directions
  • Per-app language settings independent of iOS settings
  • More detailed information and content
  • True realistic scale mode with disclaimer

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Solar Walk

One-time11
  • Mission of Cassini-HuygensFree
  • Cycles of the Earth SystemFree
  • Major Circles of LatitudeFree
Show 8 more
  • Movies BundleFree
  • 3D Satellites in Real TimeFree
  • Planets of the Solar SystemFree
  • What is a Solar Eclipse?Free
  • The Moon Phases ExplanationFree
  • Zodiacal ConstellationsFree
  • High Resolution Bundle$1.99
  • All Additional Content - Sale$2.99
3 purchases

Space Gate

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription3 Days trial$6.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Subscription$12.99

Questions

Is Solar Walk free?
Solar Walk costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Space Gate free?
Space Gate costs $12.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Solar Walk or Space Gate?
Space Gate is rated higher. Solar Walk averages 4.7 out of 5 from 8.1K ratings, while Space Gate averages 4.8 from 200 ratings.
Do Solar Walk or Space Gate have ads?
Neither Solar Walk nor Space Gate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Solar Walk or Space Gate?
Solar Walk ships an update every 5 months, and Space Gate weekly. Most recently, Solar Walk was updated on September 24, 2026 and Space Gate on August 1, 2026.

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