# Sol Explorer vs 3D Solar System

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sol Explorer at 100% against 3D Solar System's 29%. Sol Explorer also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 12). 3D Solar System's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 171 months) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 6). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 3D Solar System sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Sol Explorer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sol Explorer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 3D Solar System has 1.7K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Sol Explorer's written reviews are positive against 29% of 3D Solar System's.

Sol Explorer ships an update every 171 months, 3D Solar System fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sol Explorer | 3D Solar System |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sol-explorer/id556558274/reviews)** | [4.4 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3d-solar-system-planets-view/id983877380/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 29.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 171 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 347 MB | 347 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Reason Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/333333690) | [Education Terra](https://appshunter.io/developer/946819038) |

## What reviewers say

### Sol Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sol-explorer/id556558274)

Experience our Solar System from a first-person perspective in your own spaceship. Explore planets, moons, and space probes, traveling billions of miles across the cosmos. Learn about over 40 celestial objects and gain new perspectives on Earth and beyond.

**Highlights:** First-person spaceship exploration, Travel across the entire Solar System, Learn about 40+ celestial objects, Explore planets, moons, and probes, View from the edge of interstellar space, Size comparison videos

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### 3D Solar System

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3d-solar-system-planets-view/id983877380)

Explore the solar system in 3D and augmented reality. Learn about planets, moons, stars, and constellations through interactive models, scientific facts, and engaging quizzes. Create your own planets with AI.

**Highlights:** 3D & AR Solar System models, Scientific facts about celestial bodies, Interactive star map, Engaging educational tasks and quizzes, AI-powered planet creation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Week Subscription | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Month PRO | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 month Sale | $10.99 | per month |
| 12 months sale | $14.99 | per year |
| 6 months | $19.99 | per 6 months |
| Astronomy guide - Sky atlas | $19.99 | per month |
| 12 months | $29.99 | per year |
| Astronomy guide - Sky atlas | $29.99 | per 3 months |
| 2 Month Subscription | $39.99 | per 2 months |
| 2 Months Subscription | $39.99 | per 2 months |
| Disable Ads Sale | $9.99 | one-time |
| Disable Ads | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Informative and educational
- 🔍 Detailed solar system information
- 🎨 Cool visuals and graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 🤔 Misleading 'free' claims
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🤯 Confusing user interface

**Reported bugs**

- Planets displayed incorrectly
- Subscription charges without consent
- Inability to cancel subscription

**Requested features**

- More free content and features
- Realistic planet models and animations
- Expanded content beyond the solar system
- Improved accessibility and usability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sol Explorer free?

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

### Is 3D Solar System free?

3D Solar System is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sol Explorer or 3D Solar System?

Sol Explorer is rated higher. Sol Explorer averages 5.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while 3D Solar System averages 4.4 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Sol Explorer or 3D Solar System have ads?

3D Solar System shows ads; Sol Explorer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sol Explorer or 3D Solar System?

Sol Explorer ships an update every 171 months, and 3D Solar System fortnightly. Most recently, Sol Explorer was updated on October 7, 2026 and 3D Solar System on October 16, 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.*