# Distant Suns 5 vs Solar System Scope

The clearest difference is price: Solar System Scope at Free against Distant Suns 5's $2.99. Solar System Scope also leads on ratings volume (882 vs 97). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Distant Suns 5 against 4.4 for Solar System Scope. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Solar System Scope has 882 ratings behind it against 97, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 77% and 76% positive.

Distant Suns 5 ships an update every 5 months, Solar System Scope every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Distant Suns 5 | Solar System Scope |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/distant-suns-5/id363418936/reviews) | **[4.4 (882 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-system-scope/id863969175/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 97 | **882** |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 76.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 815 MB | 154 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mike Smithwick](https://appshunter.io/developer/294198918) | [INOVE, s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/863969178) |

## 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


### Solar System Scope

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-system-scope/id863969175)

Explore and discover the solar system and outer space with realistic 3D visualizations and detailed celestial simulations. This app offers an educational and engaging experience for all ages, featuring a comprehensive encyclopedia and a night sky observatory.

**Highlights:** 3D Encyclopedia of celestial bodies, Realistic 3D visualizations, Night sky observatory with time simulation, Accurate orbital parameter calculations, High-quality planetary and moon maps, Multilingual support

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HQ Textures / No Ads | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing app
- 👍 Great for learning about space
- 🌟 Beautifully created
- 🔭 Realistic and detailed
- 🎓 Excellent for education

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔀 Orientation issues
- 🔒 Upgrade required for full functionality
- 🕰️ Difficulty pinpointing specific dates

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when dragging Jupiter
- Upside-down orientation on tablets
- Unable to restore purchases
- Freezes and crashes on launch

**Requested features**

- Add more celestial bodies (Messier objects, Planet 9/10, black holes, etc.)
- Enable exploration of other galaxies and deep space objects
- Improve telescope/zoom functionality
- Add more moons and irregular satellites
- Implement continental drift and solar system evolution


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Distant Suns 5 free?

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

### Is Solar System Scope free?

Solar System Scope is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Distant Suns 5 or Solar System Scope?

Solar System Scope is rated higher. Distant Suns 5 averages 4.3 out of 5 from 97 ratings, while Solar System Scope averages 4.4 from 882 ratings.

### Do Distant Suns 5 or Solar System Scope have ads?

Neither Distant Suns 5 nor Solar System Scope shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Distant Suns 5 or Solar System Scope?

Distant Suns 5 ships an update every 5 months, and Solar System Scope every 4 months. Most recently, Distant Suns 5 was updated on October 14, 2026 and Solar System Scope on October 12, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*