# Distant Suns 5 vs Heliosphere

The clearest difference is price: Heliosphere at Free against Distant Suns 5's $2.99. Heliosphere also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 months). Distant Suns 5's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 3.0) and review sentiment (77% vs 50%). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Heliosphere is free to download; Distant Suns 5 costs $2.99 up front. Distant Suns 5 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Heliosphere sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Distant Suns 5 holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Distant Suns 5 has 97 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Distant Suns 5's written reviews are positive against 50% of Heliosphere's.

Distant Suns 5 ships an update every 5 months, Heliosphere every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Distant Suns 5 | Heliosphere |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.3 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/distant-suns-5/id363418936/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heliosphere-solar-system/id6757491622/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **97** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 815 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mike Smithwick](https://appshunter.io/developer/294198918) | [CHUNGKIL KIM](https://appshunter.io/developer/960187999) |

## 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


### Heliosphere

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heliosphere-solar-system/id6757491622)

Explore a real-time 3D simulation of the solar system, planets, moons, and spacecraft using accurate astronomical data. Learn about celestial bodies and space missions with educational content and quizzes.

**Highlights:** Real-time 3D solar system simulation, Live spacecraft tracking, Deep sky exploration, Comprehensive astronomy education, Time travel from 1900 to 2100, Planet-centric viewing mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Coffee | $2.99 | one-time |
| 3 Coffees | $8.99 | one-time |
| 5 Coffees | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Distant Suns 5 free?

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

### Is Heliosphere free?

Heliosphere is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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

Distant Suns 5 is rated higher. Distant Suns 5 averages 4.3 out of 5 from 97 ratings, while Heliosphere averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

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

Neither Distant Suns 5 nor Heliosphere shows ads.

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

Distant Suns 5 ships an update every 5 months, and Heliosphere every 3 days. Most recently, Distant Suns 5 was updated on October 22, 2026 and Heliosphere on October 24, 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.*