# Distant Suns 5 vs phyphox

The clearest difference is price: phyphox at Free against Distant Suns 5's $2.99. phyphox also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

phyphox is free to download; Distant Suns 5 costs $2.99 up front. Distant Suns 5 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. phyphox asks for nothing beyond the download.

phyphox holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 97 and 276 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Distant Suns 5's written reviews are positive against 79% of phyphox's.

Distant Suns 5 ships an update every 5 months, phyphox every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Distant Suns 5 | phyphox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/distant-suns-5/id363418936/reviews) | **[4.6 (276 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phyphox/id1127319693/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 97 | **276** |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | **78.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#208** |
| Size | 815 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mike Smithwick](https://appshunter.io/developer/294198918) | [RWTH Aachen University](https://appshunter.io/developer/371466796) |

## What reviewers say

### Distant Suns 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/distant-suns-5/id363418936)

Explore the cosmos with a realistic and user-friendly astronomy app. Discover constellations, planets, and celestial events with detailed information and stunning visuals. Perfect for both casual stargazers and serious astronomers.

**Highlights:** Realistic night sky display, View from Earth or solar system, Over 18 million stars, Integrated NASA space events, Stories behind constellations, Night vision color mode, Hubble Space Telescope images

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hubble Guide Star Catalog | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent astronomy app
- 🔭 Comprehensive features for stargazing
- 🌍 Helpful for learning about the night sky
- 🔍 Useful for planning observing sessions
- 🌌 Stunning visuals and graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs in recent updates
- 🤔 Confusing or unintuitive interface changes
- 📱 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🔍 Difficulty finding and selecting objects
- 🔍 Missing or inaccurate information

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when accessing preferences
- Inability to sync with iCloud
- Unresponsive or freezing app
- Incorrect or outdated information displayed
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS devices

**Requested features**

- Add more detailed information on celestial objects
- Improve compass and tracking functionality
- Provide better support for astrophotography
- Introduce a dark mode for night viewing
- Add more customization options for the user interface


### phyphox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phyphox/id1127319693)

**Currently charting:** #208 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Unlock your phone's sensors for scientific exploration. Conduct pre-built experiments or create your own using accelerometers, magnetometers, and more. Analyze and export data in various formats for further study.

**Highlights:** Pre-defined experiments, Data export (CSV, TSV, Excel), Web-based remote control, Custom experiment editor, Access to phone sensors, Advanced analysis functions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Access to phone sensors
- 🔬 Useful for physics experiments
- 📊 Data logging and export
- 🆓 Free and no ads
- 🤔 Sparks curiosity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 📉 Inconsistent performance
- 🔒 App locks/minimizes recording
- ❓ Units not always clear
- ⚠️ Potential for device damage

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on older devices
- Barometer not working on iOS 17.4
- Network error: Generic error
- Sound measurement curve disappears
- App crashes frequently

**Requested features**

- Add infrasound detector
- More units of measurement (G-force, PSI, feet)
- NFC/RFID support
- In-app bug report feature
- Allow other sensors via USB-C


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Distant Suns 5 free?

Distant Suns 5 costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is phyphox free?

phyphox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Distant Suns 5 or phyphox?

phyphox is rated higher. Distant Suns 5 averages 4.3 out of 5 from 97 ratings, while phyphox averages 4.6 from 276 ratings.

### Do Distant Suns 5 or phyphox have ads?

Neither Distant Suns 5 nor phyphox shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Distant Suns 5 or phyphox?

Distant Suns 5 ships an update every 5 months, and phyphox every 3 months. Most recently, Distant Suns 5 was updated on October 13, 2026 and phyphox on October 12, 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.*