StarTracker HD vs solAR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
StarTracker HD
Explore the night sky with this augmented reality planetarium. Identify stars, constellations, planets, and deep sky objects by simply pointing your device at the sky. All data is available offline.
- Augmented Reality Star Gazing
- Identify 8000+ stars, planets, and constellations
- Offline data access
- Search and lock celestial objects
- Time Machine feature
- High-quality graphics
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== Best StarGazing experience @60fps! == == Video: http://tiny.cc/starvideo == --- Top 1 Education app in 34 countries and Top 10 Education app in 79 countries when FREE! Thank you all my dear users, please leave a review or rating if you love this application! --- Hey, get outdoor with your friends and start star gazing! Let StarTracker guide you to explore the universe. Just hold up and point the device to the sky and have fun! You can see any stars, constellations and deep sky objects you are watching in reality. ======================== What our user said: "Best star gazing app I've ever used. Very well put together and great visuals!!! From end to end this app is a must-have for anyone interested in astronomy!!" "This app is a marvel of technology, art, and science. Super smooth operation, great graphics and a great merging of the devices capabilities. Having grown up using star charts and compasses, this app feels like science fiction come to life. Great job!" "Looking at the sky was never this incredible!" "If you download only one app, make sure it's this one!! This is one of the best apps I've ever seen, period! Its quality is unmatched among star gazing apps!" ======================== Features: • Augmented Reality Star Gazing with gyroscope! Just hold up the device. • Sun, Moon, planets and 8000+ stars visible to the naked eyes. • 88 Constellations & 100+ deep sky objects with magnificent graphics. • All data is offline! • Search and Lock the objects in Solar system, 12 Zodiac Constellations, 88 Constellations, Deep Sky Objects and Famous Stars. • 3D compass in AR mode, indicate position of objects your searched. • Location auto set by GPS, or set manually. • Time Machine. Time and date can be adjusted smoothly. • Capture a screenshot and share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or save to Photos. • Smooth motion flow and quick response which is realized by cutting edge signal processing technique. • Superb high quality graphics with full screen anti-aliasing. Usage: • Bottom Right: Hide/Show Main Setting Menu, settings for name display, constellation, deep sky object, night mode, star amount and grid mode. • Top Right: Search Menu (Solar system, 12 Zodiac and 88 Constellations, Deep Sky Object and Famous Stars) • Top Left: Location Menu, choose location from a world map. Below is the Share button. • Top bar: Time Machine Menu, adjust any time/date. • Bottom Left: AR Compass indicator in AR track mode, pan the screen to enter un-track mode and click track button to back. Tips: • When search any object under un-track mode, it will be locked at the center of the screen, then user can adjust time/date to see changes of the related sky. • When under un-track mode, just lift up the screen and point it to the sky to enter AR track mode.
solAR
Explore the solar system in 3D and augmented reality. Visualize planets and moons in your environment, adjust their scale, and learn fascinating facts. Ideal for parents, educators, and space enthusiasts.
- 3D solar system exploration
- Augmented reality integration
- Planet and moon visualization
- Adjustable scale for relative size
- High-resolution graphics
- Educational content
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Introducing solAR, the revolutionary solar system exploration app that combines cutting-edge 3D and augmented reality technology to bring the wonders of the solar system right to your doorstep. Whether you're a parent looking for a new and exciting way to engage your children, an educator seeking to enhance your lessons, or simply someone with a passion for space and science, solAR is the perfect app for you. With solAR, you can explore the sun, all the planets and moons of our solar system in stunning high-resolution graphics, and place them in your real-world environment using augmented reality. Imagine being able to see Jupiter towering over your backyard or placing Saturn's rings on a football field. With solAR, you can do just that. Our app uses the camera on your device to superimpose digital content onto the real world, creating an immersive and interactive experience that is like nothing you've ever seen before. One of the unique features of solAR is the ability to adjust the scale of the distances between the planets and moons, allowing you to see how large or small they are in relation to each other. This feature is particularly useful for educational purposes, as it allows students to better understand the relative size of the planets and moons in the solar system. But solAR is more than just a fun and interactive way to explore the solar system, it's also an educational tool. Our app includes a wealth of information about each planet and moon. Children and students can learn about the solar system in a way that is both interactive and engaging. Here are some examples of how solAR can be used in an augmented reality setting: - As a parent, you can use solAR to take a virtual field trip with your child to the planets and moons, allowing them to see the solar system in a new and exciting way. Place the planets in your garden and let your children learn about the solar system while playing outside. Compare the relative size of the planets and moons by adjusting the scale. - As an educator, you can use solAR to enhance your lessons and bring the solar system to life in the classroom. Place the solar system on a football field and let your students learn about the relative size of the planets, moons and the sun. Use the scale adjustment feature to show how far apart the planets are from each other. - As a space enthusiast, you can use solAR to explore the solar system in your own backyard or any outdoor space. Place the planets and moons in any location you want and experience the solar system in a whole new way. Adjust the scale to see the relative size of the planets and moons. solAR is designed with an intuitive user interface, making it easy for anyone to navigate and explore. With simple gestures, you can zoom in and out, rotate, and navigate through the solar system. Our app also features beautiful high-resolution graphics, ensuring that every detail of the solar system is captured in stunning clarity. So why wait? Download solAR today and experience the solar system in a whole new way. With solAR, learning about the solar system has never been more interactive, engaging and fun! Don't miss out on this marvellous opportunity. Download solAR now and start your journey today!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: solAR at 4.9 against StarTracker HD's 4.0. solAR also leads on device support (5 vs 1). StarTracker HD's advantage is review sentiment (59% vs 38%) and price ($3.99 vs $4.99). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
StarTracker HD costs $3.99 and solAR $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
solAR holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 43 and 33 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of StarTracker HD's written reviews are positive against 38% of solAR's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
StarTracker HD ships an update every 5 months, solAR every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | StarTracker HD | solAR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.0 (43 ratings) | 4.9 (33 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 59.4% of reviews — better | 37.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 43 — better | 33 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 身吉 潘 | Michael Stoeckli |
Customer experience
StarTracker HD
solAR
Bugs and requests
StarTracker HD
Reported bugs
15 issues- App crashes on startup or during use
- Compass direction incorrect (north pointing wrong direction)
- Gyroscope not responding or locked
- Share button causes crashes
- Forward/share button greying out and causing screen loss
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Screen display only showing bottom right corner on iPad Pro 12.9
- App spinning continuously without stopping
- Screen orientation lock issues after iOS updates
- Duplicate app installations appearing
- iPad 2 compatibility issues despite gyroscope presence
- Inaccurate celestial object positioning (e.g., M71 placement)
- Sun position showing incorrectly during daytime
- Ursa Minor not rotating properly over 24-hour period
- Menu disappearing after using forward button
- Half-screen display stuck after exploring tools
Requested features
13 requests- Add search functionality for celestial objects
- Include ISS and satellite tracking
- Display object information (distance, magnitude, color, brightness)
- Add ecliptic line visibility option
- Show coordinate information (RA, Dec, Alt, Azimuth)
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Tap-to-identify popup descriptions for objects
- Add grid markings and horizon line with directional labels
- Better zoom control with more detailed object information
- Ability to manually rotate and correct star map
- Offline functionality without WiFi requirement
- Remove or disable astrology content
- Project capability for classroom screens
- iPhone version availability
solAR
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
StarTracker HD
No in-app purchases
solAR
No in-app purchases








