# DIY Sun Science vs SOS Explorer

The clearest difference is rating: SOS Explorer at 4.7 against DIY Sun Science's 4.4. On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SOS Explorer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 20 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 92% of DIY Sun Science's written reviews are positive against 86% of SOS Explorer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

DIY Sun Science ships an update every 6 months, SOS Explorer every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DIY Sun Science | SOS Explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diy-sun-science/id836712493/reviews) | **[4.7 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sos-explorer/id1358724422/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **21** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | **91.7% of reviews** | 85.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 months** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 134 MB | 249 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Lawrence Hall of Science](https://appshunter.io/developer/462994550) | [University of Colorado Boulder](https://appshunter.io/developer/972210292) |

## What reviewers say

### DIY Sun Science

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diy-sun-science/id836712493)

Explore the Sun through hands-on activities and real-time data. This app offers 15 engaging experiments, live solar images from NASA, and educational videos to foster understanding of solar science for families and educators.

**Highlights:** 15 hands-on solar activities, Step-by-step instructions, Live Sun images from NASA SDO, NASA Earth and space observatory images, NASA solar videos, Learn about solar activity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### SOS Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sos-explorer/id1358724422)

Explore interactive animated datasets of Earth and space phenomena, from planetary rings to climate change models. This app brings complex environmental processes to life in an intuitive and captivating way, making learning accessible anywhere.

**Highlights:** Streaming high-resolution datasets, Educational videos, User-guided tours, Analysis tools, 100+ datasets, Global and flat map views

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DIY Sun Science free?

DIY Sun Science is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SOS Explorer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, DIY Sun Science or SOS Explorer?

SOS Explorer is rated higher. DIY Sun Science averages 4.4 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while SOS Explorer averages 4.7 from 20 ratings.

### Do DIY Sun Science or SOS Explorer have ads?

Neither DIY Sun Science nor SOS Explorer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DIY Sun Science or SOS Explorer?

DIY Sun Science ships an update every 6 months, and SOS Explorer every 11 months. Most recently, DIY Sun Science was updated on October 17, 2026 and SOS Explorer on October 9, 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.*