Comparison

Solar Walk vs NelsonReading

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

NelsonReading

Features
Read full description

NelsonReading brings eCollection and Nelson Decodable Readers together in one app, giving teachers and students access to quality eBooks that support the consolidation of comprehension, fluency and phonics skills. It utilises native iOS gestures to provide a seamless experience for young readers. Requires subscriptions to eCollection and/or Nelson Decodable Readers. ~~~~~~~~~~ FEATURES ~~~~~~~~~~ 550 eCollection eBooks including 100 pre-level K books 210 Nelson Decodable Readers, 96 decodable Story Books and 82 One-Word Readers Includes the following features: + Assign books to students and track progress + Audio of each word and book + Segmented and Blended audio of each word in Nelson Decodable Readers + Student recording reading function + Read aloud support + Text editing and drawing features ~~~~~~~~~~ SUPPORT ~~~~~~~~~~ Send us an email at anz.techsupport@cengage.com with any questions, feedback or requests. Privacy Policy: https://cengage.com.au/privacy Terms and Conditions: https://cengage.com.au/terms Contact: https://cengage.com.au/contact-us

Screenshots

Solar Walk4 screens
NelsonReading4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: NelsonReading at Free against Solar Walk's $4.99. NelsonReading also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10). On ads, device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

NelsonReading is free to download; Solar Walk costs $4.99 up front. Solar Walk sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. NelsonReading asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Solar Walk versus NelsonReading: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSolar WalkNelsonReading
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (8.2K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings8.2K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size451 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVito Technology Inc.Cengage Learning Australia

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

NelsonReading

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Solar Walk

One-time10
  • Cycles of the Earth SystemFree
  • Major Circles of LatitudeFree
  • Movies BundleFree
Show 7 more
  • 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
None

NelsonReading

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Solar Walk free?
Solar Walk costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is NelsonReading free?
NelsonReading is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Solar Walk or NelsonReading have ads?
Neither Solar Walk nor NelsonReading shows ads.

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