Comparison

Planetary Clock vs Real Solar System

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

Head to head
About

Planetary Clock

Visualize the precise positions of all planets in the Solar System for any given day. It uses accurate NASA data for orbital calculations and relative planet sizing, offering a clear, educational view of celestial mechanics.

Highlights
  • Real-time planet positions
  • Accurate orbital calculations
  • Uses NASA data
  • Relative planet sizing
  • Educational solar system view
Features
Read full description

Planetary Clock is simple and elegant app what shows positions of all planets of the Solar System at any given day. The app uses precise calculation to determine accurate positions in real time. Sun’s and planets sizes are not to scale in order to show them clearly, but other parameters such as size of orbit, eccentricity, shape of the orbit and position of planets are calculated using precise NASA data. Planets are also realistically sized to each other

About

Real Solar System

Read full description

This solar system simulator reflects actual planetary position information. When the app is launched, the sun is positioned 20 cm in front of the device, based on the device's position. Around it, the eight main planets of the solar system and the celestial body to be observed orbit. The orbits are displayed as if they were trajectories. The position of each planet is calculated based on actual values. # Features - x] Realistic solar system with ARKit - x] Orbits of the 8 planets are displayed. - x] Planets are realistic textures imported from USDZ files. - x] Planet positions are calculated based on real values (using Horizons API) - x] The object to be observed can be changed. - x] Display of the orbit of the object of interest - x] Calculate the position of the target object based on actual values (using the Horizons API). - x] Adjustable speed (minus value for reverse rotation) - x] Zoom function (zoom in/zoom out) - x] Toggle the display of the text information and the coordinate axis (New!) ## How to use 1. when you launch the application, you will be asked for "permission to use camera" at the first startup. If you allow it, an ARKit session will start. 2. 2. a coordinate axis will be placed 20 cm in front of you, based on the device's position. 3. Tap the "Load Planet" button to load the planet model. Just wait a moment. 4. The 8 main planets of the solar system and the object to be observed will orbit around it. 5. Move the device to observe the solar system from various angles. 6. Tap the buttons at the bottom of the screen to adjust the speed and zoom. 7. You can change the object to be observed from the menu in the upper right corner of the screen. 1. Halley's Comet 2. Hayabusa2 & Ryugyu 3. Voyager 1 & 2 4. New Horizons & Pluto 5. Cassini (New!) 6. OSIRIS-REx & Bennu 7. Comparison of Circle and Ellipse 8. Geocentric theory (New!) 8. Toggle the display of the text information and the coordinate axis from the menu in the upper right corner of the screen. (New!)

Screenshots

Planetary Clock4 screens
Real Solar System4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Real Solar System at Free against Planetary Clock's $0.99. Real Solar System also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 27 months). Planetary Clock's advantage is iOS requirement (11.4 vs 17.6). On 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

Real Solar System is free to download; Planetary Clock costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Planetary Clock ships an update every 27 months, Real Solar System monthly. The most recent releases landed on August 19, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Planetary Clock versus Real Solar System: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlanetary ClockReal Solar System
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (34 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews57.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings34 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 27 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.4 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB302 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPiotr KnapczykMasaya Nagaoka

In-app purchases

None

Planetary Clock

No in-app purchases

None

Real Solar System

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Planetary Clock free?
Planetary Clock costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Real Solar System free?
Real Solar System is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Planetary Clock or Real Solar System have ads?
Neither Planetary Clock nor Real Solar System shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Planetary Clock or Real Solar System?
Planetary Clock ships an update every 27 months, and Real Solar System monthly. Most recently, Planetary Clock was updated on August 19, 2026 and Real Solar System on September 20, 2026.

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