# Smithsonian vs Satellite Rotation

The clearest difference is price: Smithsonian at Free against Satellite Rotation's $0.99. Smithsonian also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 7 months). Satellite Rotation's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Smithsonian is free to download; Satellite Rotation costs $0.99 up front. Smithsonian sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Satellite Rotation asks for nothing beyond the download.

Smithsonian ships an update every 3 months, Satellite Rotation every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smithsonian | Satellite Rotation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 285 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [PlayDate Digital Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/652113715) | [Masahiro Tomosada](https://appshunter.io/developer/1587710118) |

## What reviewers say

### Smithsonian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smithsonian-planets/id6504839302)

Explore the solar system with interactive games and animations. Learn fascinating facts about planets, moons, and the asteroid belt. Designed for curious young minds to introduce astronomy basics.

**Highlights:** Fascinating facts about the solar system, Mini games like Space Winter Rush, Interactive activities, Educational animations, Read to Me text, Collect planet badges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy 5 Planets | $2.99 | one-time |


### Satellite Rotation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/satellite-rotation/id6742694401)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smithsonian free?

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

### Is Satellite Rotation free?

Satellite Rotation costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Smithsonian or Satellite Rotation have ads?

Neither Smithsonian nor Satellite Rotation shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smithsonian or Satellite Rotation?

Smithsonian ships an update every 3 months, and Satellite Rotation every 7 months. Most recently, Smithsonian was updated on November 4, 2026 and Satellite Rotation on October 30, 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.*