Distant Suns 5 vs 3D Solar System Tour
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Distant Suns 5
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.
- 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
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Distant Suns: The night sky, reimagined. 2013 finalist in the Family category of TabTimes' best tablet app contest; "I am putting together some mobile astronomy apps for our local "Sky's the Limit" Observatory in Twentynine Palms, CA. I have been searching for something as good as, or better than, Distant Suns. Short answer: I have not found it yet. ...nothing portrays the night sky as well as Distant Suns. Distant Suns has been your personal guide to the cosmos since 1985. First on the desktop, now right in your hands. While others play games, you can travel to the stars. Award-winning Distant Suns has the reputation of both having one of the most realistic displays of the night sky, while being one of the easiest to use astronomy apps for casual sky watchers as well as serious astronomers. •Named in the "100 Essential Apps" by iLounge •Featured on NPR's MarketPlace Features include: •No Internet required. Just a sense of wonder. •View from the Earth or out in the solar system •Simply aim and gaze. •Over 18 million pinpoint stars scintillating like diamond dust in the palm of your hand (18 mil? Yup.) •Integrated with NASA's Night Sky Network space events in your area (US only at present) •What's Up? Gives a quick one snapshot overview of the evening's sky •Realistic ghostly band of the Milky Way •Stories behind each constellation •Viewpoint Lock keeps any object centered •Current weather patterns on the earth, updated daily •Change the look of the stars •Galaxies, nebula and star clusters •Hubble Space Telescope images •All 8 planets (or 9 for you purists) •GPS aware •Special color mode preserves your night vision. •Touch the sky to reveal hidden data for each object •Planetary data and information First Light is a proud member of Moms with Apps, a collaborative group of family-friendly developers with family-friendly apps. Twitter: @distantsuns Support: www.distantsuns.com
3D Solar System Tour
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The universe, right in your pocket. "3D Solar System Tour" is an easy-to-use planetarium app that recreates the Solar System with beautiful 3D graphics, soothing BGM, and detailed voice narration. No complex controls required. Just relax and listen to the stories of the stars. 【Main Feature: Audio Guide Tour】 Narrated Solar System Tour The highlight of this app is the "Tour Mode," which automatically takes you on a journey through all the planets. Just like a museum guide, a calm voice explains the mysteries and characteristics of each planet. Perfect for relaxing before bed or learning something new during your commute. (Available via Rewarded Ads or Premium Plan) 【Other Features】 Beautiful 3D Simulation Explore the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Rotate planets with a swipe or zoom in to see their textures. Experience the Vastness: "Real Scale Mode" Switch to scientifically accurate size ratios and distances with a single tap. Note: In this mode, the Sun is massive, while other planets appear merely as tiny dots. While not visually detailed, this mode offers a powerful educational perspective on how vast and empty space truly is. Simple Warp Travel In "Exploration Mode," you can experience the atmosphere of traveling to planets aboard a spaceship. Note: This is a simple visual transition to jump to your destination, not a complex flight simulator. Interesting Astronomical Data Core Data: Diameter, Mass, Orbital/Rotational periods. Travel Time: See how long it would take to reach each planet using the "Apollo" spacecraft or the modern "Parker Solar Probe." 【Premium Features】 The app is free to download. Upgrading to the Premium Plan unlocks: ・Ad-Free Experience: Remove all ads. ・Unlimited Audio Tours: Access the full guided tour without watching reward ads. Note: An internet connection is required to use this app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: 3D Solar System Tour at Free against Distant Suns 5's $2.99. 3D Solar System Tour also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months). Distant Suns 5's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On in-app purchases, 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
3D Solar System Tour is free to download; Distant Suns 5 costs $2.99 up front. Distant Suns 5 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and 3D Solar System Tour sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Distant Suns 5 ships an update every 5 months, 3D Solar System Tour every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Distant Suns 5 | 3D Solar System Tour |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.3 (97 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 97 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 815 MB | 74 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mike Smithwick | Takashi Imamura |
Bugs and requests
Distant Suns 5
Reported bugs
5 issues- 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
5 requests- 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
3D Solar System Tour
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Distant Suns 5
- Hubble Guide Star Catalog$0.99
3D Solar System Tour
- Premium Plan$5.00
Questions
Is Distant Suns 5 free?
Is 3D Solar System Tour free?
Do Distant Suns 5 or 3D Solar System Tour have ads?
Which is updated more often, Distant Suns 5 or 3D Solar System Tour?
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