Comparison

Solar Orrery vs Twinkleton

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

Head to head
About

Solar Orrery

Explore a real-time, interactive model of our solar system and the night sky. Journey through planets, moons, stars, and constellations with cinematic visuals and intuitive controls. Track celestial objects and experience the vastness of space.

Highlights
  • Interactive solar system model
  • Real-time orbital data
  • 41,000+ stars and constellations
  • Time controls for simulation
  • Touch-first camera controls
  • Colorblind-accessible themes
  • Live celestial object feeds
Features
Read full description

Orrery is an interactive, real-time model of the solar system and the nearby sky, built for curiosity and wonder. Start with a cinematic opening from deep space to Earth, then move freely through planets, moons, constellations, and live orbital data. Features: - Cinematic opening tour from deep space to Earth - Interactive planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and spacecraft - 41,000+ stars and 88 constellation line patterns - Time controls from real time to accelerated simulation - Touch-first camera: orbit, zoom, and focus, then drill into a planet's moons - An ambient tour that drifts through the system on its own - Colorblind-accessible themes - Live feeds for near-Earth objects, solar wind, and satellite positions Built for learners, stargazers, educators, and anyone who wants to feel the scale and motion of the solar system. Questions or feedback: luke@lukesteuber.com

About

Twinkleton

Features
Read full description

Twinkleton is a gentle, beautiful astronomy playground for curious explorers (ages 5–10). Spin a real 3D solar system in your hands, sit back for a movie-like flight past every planet, and discover how space works through playful, hands-on lessons — all guided by Luma, a friendly little astronaut. EXPLORE IN 3D • A real-texture Sun, eight planets, Pluto, the Moon, Saturn's rings and the Milky Way • Drag to orbit, pinch to zoom — like holding the solar system in your hands • Tap any planet to fly to it and open a friendly fact card • Slow it down, speed it up, or rewind time to watch the planets dance A MOVIE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM • Immersive mode plays a calm, cinematic fly-through — drifting in from far away, then visiting each planet up close with gentle music LEARN BY DOING Ten interactive lessons turn big ideas into simple play: • Why we always see the same face of the Moon • Why you float with a tiny jump on the Moon (1/6 gravity) • How far the Sun is — light takes 8 minutes to reach us • How many Moons fit inside the Earth • Which planet is hottest (surprise — it's not the closest one!) • How much you'd weigh on every planet • What a satellite is — natural vs. man-made • How long a day lasts on other worlds • Solar and lunar eclipses, seen from space AND from Earth • A deck of cosmic fun-facts SAFE, GENTLE & AD-FREE • Fully bilingual — English and 繁體中文, switch anytime • Friendly voice narration reads every fact aloud • No ads, no links out, and no sign-up — privacy-first, anonymous analytics only • Works on iPhone and iPad Distances and sizes are scaled down so everything stays fun and visible — a toy model of the real thing, built to spark wonder.

Screenshots

Solar Orrery4 screens
Twinkleton4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Twinkleton at weekly against Solar Orrery's every 3 weeks. Solar Orrery's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Solar Orrery ships an update every 3 weeks, Twinkleton weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Solar Orrery versus Twinkleton: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSolar OrreryTwinkleton
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLanguageCraftTechnicolorLife LLC

In-app purchases

None

Solar Orrery

No in-app purchases

None

Twinkleton

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Solar Orrery free?
Solar Orrery is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Twinkleton free?
Twinkleton is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Solar Orrery or Twinkleton have ads?
Neither Solar Orrery nor Twinkleton shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Solar Orrery or Twinkleton?
Solar Orrery ships an update every 3 weeks, and Twinkleton weekly. Most recently, Solar Orrery was updated on October 13, 2026 and Twinkleton on October 9, 2026.

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