Comparison

Sunlight Hours vs Heliosphere

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sunlight Hours

Features
Read full description

- This shows daylight hours in any latitude on any given day - You can also see some information about each planet in our solar system

About

Heliosphere

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
Read full description

Explore the solar system at your fingertips. Heliosphere is a real-time 3D solar system simulation powered by NASA JPL Horizons data. It accurately recreates the orbits of planets, moons, comets, and dwarf planets while tracking the real positions of active spacecraft. * Real-time 3D Solar System Simulation — 8 planets, 5 dwarf planets, 10+ moons, and 4 comets — Precise Keplerian orbit calculations based on real astronomical data — Time travel from 1900 to 2100 — Pan, zoom, and rotate for a free-roaming perspective — Switch to planet-centric viewing mode * Live Spacecraft Tracking — Voyager 1, 2 | Pioneer 10, 11 — Cassini | Juno | New Horizons | Parker Solar Probe — Real position data from NASA JPL Horizons API * Deep Sky Exploration — Over 150 bright stars — 530 Milky Way stars — 124 deep-sky objects (Messier, NGC/IC catalogs) * Comprehensive Astronomy Education — 6 difficulty levels from middle school to graduate — Core concepts: Kepler's Laws, gravity, escape velocity, and more — Mission timelines for Voyager, Cassini, New Horizons, and others — 60+ quiz questions to test your knowledge — Historical space event date-guessing challenges * Free for Everyone — All content available at no cost — No ads — 11 languages supported Experience the beauty of the cosmos and the wonder of science through scientifically accurate data and intuitive interaction.

Screenshots

Sunlight Hours4 screens
Heliosphere4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Heliosphere at none against Sunlight Hours's shown. Sunlight Hours's advantage is iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sunlight Hours sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Heliosphere sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Sunlight Hours versus Heliosphere: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSunlight HoursHeliosphere
PriceFreeFree
Rating—3.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 3 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS16.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB37 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperNovaNextCHUNGKIL KIM

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Sunlight Hours

One-time7
  • Coffee$0.99
  • Remove Ads$0.99
  • Donate $3$2.99
Show 4 more
  • Donate $5$4.99
  • Donate $10$9.99
  • Donate $15$14.99
  • Donate $20$19.99
3 purchases

Heliosphere

One-time3
  • 1 Coffee$2.99
  • 3 Coffees$8.99
  • 5 Coffees$14.99

Questions

Is Sunlight Hours free?
Sunlight Hours is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Heliosphere free?
Heliosphere is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Sunlight Hours or Heliosphere have ads?
Sunlight Hours shows ads; Heliosphere does not.
Which is updated more often, Sunlight Hours or Heliosphere?
Sunlight Hours ships an update every 3 days, and Heliosphere every 3 days. Most recently, Sunlight Hours was updated on October 24, 2026 and Heliosphere on October 24, 2026.

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