DIY Sun Science vs Doorways into Open Access
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.”
Doorways into Open Access
Explore a virtual portal to 1912 Paris and discover artifacts from the Smithsonian's Open Access collection. This augmented reality experience immerses you in "La Belle Epoque" for an educational journey.
- Augmented reality experience
- Virtual portal to 1912 Paris
- Explore Smithsonian Open Access artifacts
- Immersive "La Belle Epoque" setting
- Educational historical journey
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Doorways into Open Access is an augmented reality experience that transports users back a century to Paris of “La Belle Epoque”, a golden era that began in the early 1870s and lasted through the beginning of WWI in 1914. Downloading the app opens a virtual portal to 1912, inviting travelers to explore artifacts of the time drawn from the Smithsonian’s Open Access collection in a gorgeous virtual space.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Doorways into Open Access at 5.0 against DIY Sun Science's 4.4. Doorways into Open Access also leads on update cadence (weekly 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Doorways into Open Access holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of DIY Sun Science's written reviews are positive against 100% of Doorways into Open Access's.
DIY Sun Science ships an update every 6 months, Doorways into Open Access weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DIY Sun Science | Doorways into Open Access |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (21 ratings) | 5.0 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 91.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 21 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 134 MB | 337 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Lawrence Hall of Science | Smithsonian Institution |
Customer experience
DIY Sun Science
Doorways into Open Access
In-app purchases
DIY Sun Science
No in-app purchases
Doorways into Open Access
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is DIY Sun Science free?
Is Doorways into Open Access free?
Which has better reviews, DIY Sun Science or Doorways into Open Access?
Do DIY Sun Science or Doorways into Open Access have ads?
Which is updated more often, DIY Sun Science or Doorways into Open Access?
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