Solar Walk vs Sapling Isle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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!
Sapling Isle
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Sapling Isle is a multilingual interactive science lab that connects observable phenomena with advanced scientific concepts on iPhone and iPad. Change variables directly, observe how a system responds, read graphs and measurements, then explore the equations, assumptions, and limits behind the model. Explore nature and the universe • Control a 3D Solar System and observe planetary motion and astronomical time • Follow curved light, an accretion disk, and Einstein rings around a black hole Enter a hands-on physics lab • Explore forces, motion, heat, energy, magnetic fields, light, and atoms • Compare heating, compression, and diffusion in a 3D microscopic world • Investigate orbits, waves, entropy, Boltzmann distributions, quantum tunneling, and double-slit patterns Explore at your own depth • Start with direct manipulation and visual feedback • Continue with multivariable comparisons, measurements, and graphs • Go deeper into equations, approximations, and model boundaries • Choose from 10 interface languages • Adaptive layouts for both iPhone and iPad • No account, advertising, or cross-app tracking • Progress, camera frames, and experiment data are handled primarily on device Pick an island, begin with a phenomenon, and follow the evidence toward deeper models.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Sapling Isle at Free against Solar Walk's $4.99. Sapling Isle also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 11) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). Solar Walk's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On ads 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
Sapling Isle is free to download; Solar Walk costs $4.99 up front. Solar Walk sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Sapling Isle asks for nothing beyond the download.
Solar Walk ships an update every 5 months, Sapling Isle fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Solar Walk | Sapling Isle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (8.1K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 72.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 8.1K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 451 MB | 40 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vito Technology Inc. | 大鹏 张 |
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
Sapling Isle
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Solar Walk
- Mission of Cassini-HuygensFree
- Cycles of the Earth SystemFree
- Major Circles of LatitudeFree
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- 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
Sapling Isle
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Solar Walk free?
Is Sapling Isle free?
Do Solar Walk or Sapling Isle have ads?
Which is updated more often, Solar Walk or Sapling Isle?
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