# Solar Walk vs Universal Zoom

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Universal Zoom at none against Solar Walk's 11. Universal Zoom also leads on review sentiment (97% vs 72%). Solar Walk's advantage is ratings volume (8.2K vs 365) and price ($4.99 vs $5.99). On rating, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Solar Walk costs $4.99 and Universal Zoom $5.99 up front. Solar Walk sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Universal Zoom asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Solar Walk against 4.8 for Universal Zoom. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Solar Walk has 8.2K ratings behind it against 365, 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 97% of Universal Zoom's.

Solar Walk ships an update every 5 months, Universal Zoom every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Solar Walk | Universal Zoom |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$4.99** | $5.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (8.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-walk-space-simulator-3d/id347546771/reviews) | **[4.8 (365 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-zoom-science-guide/id807673066/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8.2K** | 365 |
| Positive reviews | 72.2% of reviews | **96.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 451 MB | 175 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vito Technology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/289641503) | [GamifyIt](https://appshunter.io/developer/807673069) |

## What reviewers say

### Solar Walk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-walk-space-simulator-3d/id347546771)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mission of Cassini-Huygens | Free | one-time |
| Cycles of the Earth System | Free | one-time |
| Major Circles of Latitude | Free | one-time |
| Movies Bundle | Free | one-time |
| 3D Satellites in Real Time | Free | one-time |
| Planets of the Solar System | Free | one-time |
| What is a Solar Eclipse? | Free | one-time |
| The Moon Phases Explanation | Free | one-time |
| Zodiacal Constellations | Free | one-time |
| High Resolution Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| All Additional Content - Sale | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### Universal Zoom

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-zoom-science-guide/id807673066)

Explore the universe's vastness and intricacy through interactive visual comparisons. Seamlessly zoom from subatomic particles to the observable universe, gaining intuition about scale and size with stunning imagery and clear explanations.

**Highlights:** Seamless zooming across scales, Visual comparisons of objects, Jargon-free scientific explanations, Audio narration, Over 270 objects presented to scale, Multi-language support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fascinating and informative
- 🚀 Smooth and seamless experience
- 💡 Puts things into perspective
- 👍 Great learning tool for all ages
- 👍 Visually appealing and well-designed

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔇 Background music could be improved

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect information for some objects
- Compatibility issues on older devices
- Typos and minor errors in text

**Requested features**

- Add more objects and comparisons
- Customizable object feature
- Support for more languages
- Ability to toggle between metric and imperial units
- Search and filtering options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Solar Walk free?

Solar Walk costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Universal Zoom free?

Universal Zoom costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Solar Walk or Universal Zoom?

Universal Zoom is rated higher. Solar Walk averages 4.7 out of 5 from 8.2K ratings, while Universal Zoom averages 4.8 from 365 ratings.

### Do Solar Walk or Universal Zoom have ads?

Neither Solar Walk nor Universal Zoom shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Solar Walk or Universal Zoom?

Solar Walk ships an update every 5 months, and Universal Zoom every 4 months. Most recently, Solar Walk was updated on November 1, 2026 and Universal Zoom on November 1, 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.*