Comparison

DIY Sun Science vs Planets AR

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

Planets AR

Explore our solar system with an augmented reality experience. See planets, moons, and dwarf planets come to life in your room or the night sky. Learn fascinating facts and take photos for school projects.

Highlights
  • Augmented Reality solar system visualization
  • Interactive planet controls
  • Night mode for stargazing
  • Detailed planet information
  • Capture photos of celestial bodies
  • Talking planets for guidance
Features
Read full description

Planets AR is like a spaceship that takes you on a magical journey through our incredible solar system! You'll meet all the planets, moons, and even some mysterious dwarf planets, as if you're an astronaut in outer space! But, this isn't just any ordinary journey! With our app's incredible Augmented Reality technology, you'll be able to see them right in front of your eyes, even in low-light conditions, making it an unforgettable experience! And if you prefer stargazing, you can even see them in the night sky with night mode. You can be amazed to learn that Saturn's rings were made up of ice particles and that Pluto was a dwarf planet that used to be classified as the ninth planet, as well as its history and significance in our understanding of the universe. Learning about the cosmos will become fun and easy. With just a few taps, you can snap a picture of the planets. Imagine the looks of admiration from your teacher and classmates as you present stunning, lifelike pictures for your school projects and homework. This incredible augmented reality app will elevate your work to new heights, making you the star of the classroom. But that's not all, our app is more than that - it's also a teacher! Each planet speaks its name and tells you about itself, so you can learn amazing facts and see detailed information about each planet, dwarf planet, and moon. And don't worry, you won't be alone on this journey - our Talking Planets will guide you every step of the way! So, if you're ready to blast off on an adventure to explore the wonders of our solar system, our app is the perfect spaceship for you! You'll have a blast while learning about the incredible universe that surrounds us. Discover the wonders of space through: - The Sun and our Solar System, which includes eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. - Dwarf planets, such as Pluto, Ceres, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris may be small in size but are big in intrigue. - Moons, including Earth's Moon, Europa, Ganymede, Io, Callisto, Titan, Enceladus, Iapetus, Triton, and Charon, which each have their own unique features and secrets. Planet Control Made Easy: - Explore the solar system with intuitive and user-friendly controls! - Swipe your finger to rotate the planets, and drag them to move them around in the room. - Use your two fingers to pinch in and out to make the planets bigger or smaller. - With these simple controls, you can become a space explorer in no time! What People Are Saying: - "Great app for kids! Easy and interactive way of learning (though I wish they had such beautiful tech earlier)..." - Mona - "I really like the game, I can move the planets when I touch them and it seems that you have the real planets next to it." - Salvador Gonzalez Janeiro - "It is a really cool app. I like how you can see how long a year and day is. Who ever made this app thank you." - Morgan Sisk - "Excellent, this sort of thing is hard to find.." - NVB9 Connect with us: - Visit us at https://planetsar.agrmayank.com/ or check out our other apps at https://studios.agrmayank.com/. - Have any questions or suggestions? Reach out at contact@agrmayank.com and we'll be happy to help. - Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AgrMayankStudios, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/agrmayankstudios/, Twitter at https://twitter.com/AgrMayankStudio/, and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/agrmayankstudios/ to stay up to date.

Screenshots

DIY Sun Science4 screens
Planets AR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: DIY Sun Science at 4.4 against Planets AR's 3.7. DIY Sun Science also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). Planets AR's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 6 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 92%). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Planets AR sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. DIY Sun Science asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DIY Sun Science holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 6 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 92% of DIY Sun Science's written reviews are positive against 100% of Planets AR'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, Planets AR daily. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
DIY Sun Science versus Planets AR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDIY Sun SciencePlanets AR
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (21 ratings) — better3.7 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews91.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings21 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsDaily — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size134 MB343 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Lawrence Hall of ScienceMayank Raj

Customer experience

DIY Sun Science

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

Planets AR

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

DIY Sun Science

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Planets AR

One-time2
  • Remove Watermark$0.99
  • Remove Ads$2.99

Questions

Is DIY Sun Science free?
DIY Sun Science is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Planets AR free?
Planets AR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DIY Sun Science or Planets AR?
DIY Sun Science is rated higher. DIY Sun Science averages 4.4 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Planets AR averages 3.7 from 6 ratings.
Do DIY Sun Science or Planets AR have ads?
Planets AR shows ads; DIY Sun Science does not.
Which is updated more often, DIY Sun Science or Planets AR?
DIY Sun Science ships an update every 6 months, and Planets AR daily. Most recently, DIY Sun Science was updated on November 6, 2026 and Planets AR on November 4, 2026.

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