Comparison

DIY Sun Science vs VR Science Lab

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

Head to head
About

DIY Sun Science

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
Read full description

DIY Sun Science is designed to make it easy for families and educators to learn about the Sun anywhere, anytime! The app is developed by UC Berkeley’s The Lawrence Hall of Science, the Children's Creativity Museum, and Sciencenter; funded by NASA. HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES DIY Sun Science includes 15 easy-to-use hands-on activities to learn about the Sun and its important relationship with Earth. Learn how to cook in a solar oven, measure the size of the Sun, or explore shadows in model Moon craters! Each activity includes step-by-step instructions that have been tested by educators, kids, and families. Activity materials are easily available and inexpensive—you may already have many of them in your home! SUN OBSERVATORY Want to see the Sun right now in different wavelengths? Use DIY Sun Science to view live images of the Sun from NASA’s SDO satellite in the Sun Observatory. Afterwards, you can learn more about the solar activity you observed and test your new knowledge. IMAGES AND VIDEOS See awe-inspiring images of the Sun from NASA’s Earth and space observatories! Learn about the different features of the Sun and how scientists are studying it. You can even watch NASA videos of the Sun from the past 48 hours. Praise & Reviews: —Featured by Apple in "Best New Apps" and "Education" —Common Sense Media: “DIY Sun Science is a great way to spark interest in astronomy and inspire learning. The activities are fun and engaging, and they tie in nicely with important astronomy concepts.” —Gizmodo: “A must for budding astronomy enthusiasts.”

About

VR Science Lab

Explore scientific principles through 25 engaging augmented and virtual reality experiments. Learn about chemical reactions, sound waves, and acidity with hands-on activities like volcano eruptions and slime making. Requires a physical kit to activate the AR/VR experiences.

Highlights
  • 25 AR/VR science experiments
  • Learn chemical reactions
  • Explore sound waves
  • Understand acidity
  • Hands-on activities
  • Augmented and virtual reality integration
Features
Read full description

Dive into Professor Maxwell's virtual lab to explore the wonders of science through 25 fun experiments that come alive in augmented and virtual reality! Learn key scientific principles including chemical reactions, sound waves and acidity with integrated AR and VR. Then get hands on with favorite experiments including erupting a volcano, using lemons to light up an LED, making gooey slime and more, all in Professor Maxwell's VR Science Lab! To activate the experiences, simply download the app and hold your phone over the book included in the kit to see Professor Maxwell come to life!

Screenshots

DIY Sun Science4 screens
VR Science Lab3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: DIY Sun Science at 4.4 against VR Science Lab's 4.1. VR Science Lab's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 92%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DIY Sun Science holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 13 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 92% of DIY Sun Science's written reviews are positive against 100% of VR Science Lab's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DIY Sun Science ships an update every 6 months, VR Science Lab every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
DIY Sun Science versus VR Science Lab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDIY Sun ScienceVR Science Lab
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (21 ratings) — better4.1 (13 ratings)
Positive reviews91.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings21 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size134 MB976 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Lawrence Hall of ScienceAbacus

Customer experience

DIY Sun Science

All ratings21 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral4.8%
Negative9.5%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive91.7%
Neutral4.2%
Negative4.2%

VR Science Lab

All ratings13 ratings
Positive76.9%
Neutral7.7%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

DIY Sun Science

No in-app purchases

None

VR Science Lab

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DIY Sun Science free?
DIY Sun Science is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is VR Science Lab free?
VR Science Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DIY Sun Science or VR Science Lab?
DIY Sun Science is rated higher. DIY Sun Science averages 4.4 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while VR Science Lab averages 4.1 from 13 ratings.
Do DIY Sun Science or VR Science Lab have ads?
Neither DIY Sun Science nor VR Science Lab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DIY Sun Science or VR Science Lab?
DIY Sun Science ships an update every 6 months, and VR Science Lab every 2 months. Most recently, DIY Sun Science was updated on October 23, 2026 and VR Science Lab on October 23, 2026.

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