Comparison

xSky vs 3D Solar System

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

Head to head
About

xSky

Explore the cosmos with a virtual telescope. Point your device at the sky to identify celestial bodies. Zoom in for detailed views and use a search function to locate specific objects.

Highlights
  • Virtual telescope functionality
  • Identify Sun, Moon, Planets, Stars, Galaxies
  • Zoom up to a million times
  • Screen lock to stop motion
  • Object search arrow
  • Soft music and sound effects
Features
Read full description

xSky is a simple to use virtual telescope app. Just look at the sky through your device. Lock the screen and zoom in to explore in more detail. Features: • Sun, Moon, Planets, Galilean Moons, Stars, Constellations and Galaxies. • Pinch the screen to zoom up to a million times. • Use lock button to stop motions. • Search arrow will help to locate any object in the sky. • Soft music and sound effects.

About

3D Solar System

Explore the solar system in 3D and augmented reality. Learn about planets, moons, stars, and constellations through interactive models, scientific facts, and engaging quizzes. Create your own planets with AI.

Highlights
  • 3D & AR Solar System models
  • Scientific facts about celestial bodies
  • Interactive star map
  • Engaging educational tasks and quizzes
  • AI-powered planet creation
Features
Read full description

Have you ever wanted to hold the Solar System in your hands? Now you can. 3D Solar System turns your device into a window to the planets, constellations, and stars beyond. Solar System in 3D and AR Travel from the Sun to the icy edge of deep space — a planetary journey of nearly 15 billion kilometers through our cosmic backyard. Study planets, moons, dwarf planets, and two major asteroid fields: the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter, and the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune. See how tiny Earth looks next to Jupiter. Zoom in on planets' craters, spin Saturn's rings, and realize just how vast the universe really is. Interactive star map for passionate stargazers A complete map of the night sky with gyroscope support. Tilt your device toward the ceiling and explore constellations like a true space explorer — as if you were standing under a real night sky. Learn each constellation's name, its ancient stories, and the astronomy behind them. Learn to identify Orion, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia and discover dozens more. What you can do: ► Study planets — from scorched Mercury to icy Neptune — along with moons, dwarf planets, and bright constellations like a real astronomer. ► Test your knowledge with quizzes, planet order challenges, "True or False", and mythology questions. Learn who the planets are named after, how long a day lasts on Pluto, and what makes a star shine. ► Create your own planet using AI — design it, name it, and explore it. 714,000+ people have downloaded our app. To put that in perspective: that's 79 times more than all the stars you can see in the night sky with your own eyes. Some features may require a subscription. Free version includes: basic planet info, part of the constellation catalog, some quizzes and tests, star map, and AI planet generation (up to 2 planets). Subscription unlocks: full content about the Solar System, full constellation catalog, all quizzes and tests, planet cross-sections, unlimited AI planet generation. Every planet is different. Each constellation has a story. The universe is waiting — and it's bigger than you ever imagined. Explore all planets, learn every constellation, and become the space explorer you've always wanted to be. Start your journey through space today. Privacy Policy: http://educationterra.com/privacy Terms Of Use: https://educationterra.com/tos

Screenshots

xSky4 screens
3D Solar System4 screens

Verdict

The call

xSky and 3D Solar System both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 79% of xSky's written reviews are positive against 29% of 3D Solar System's. xSky also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 12) and ads (none vs shown). 3D Solar System's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 80). On price, rating, 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. 3D Solar System sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. xSky asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for xSky against 4.4 for 3D Solar System. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 3D Solar System has 1.7K ratings behind it against 80, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of xSky's written reviews are positive against 29% of 3D Solar System's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

xSky ships an update every 3 months, 3D Solar System fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
xSky versus 3D Solar System: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterxSky3D Solar System
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (80 ratings)4.4 (1.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.4% of reviews — better28.8% of reviews
Number of ratings801.7K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB352 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOleg SurEducation Terra

Customer experience

xSky

All ratings75 ratings
Positive74.7%
Neutral13.3%
Negative12.0%
Written reviews155 reviews
Positive79.4%
Neutral5.2%
Negative15.5%

3D Solar System

All ratings1,738 ratings
Positive85.0%
Neutral4.8%
Negative10.2%
Written reviews156 reviews
Positive28.8%
Neutral5.1%
Negative66.0%

User reviews

xSky

From 80 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🔭 Realistic space simulation
  • ✨ Beautiful visuals and music
  • 👍 Easy to use interface
  • 💡 Great for learning astronomy
  • 💯 Highly accurate object identification

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashing issues
  • 🧭 Location services not working
  • 🔄 Inconsistent with reality (out of sync)
  • 📱 Not optimized for all devices (e.g., iPhone 12)
  • 🎛️ Hard to control

3D Solar System

From 1.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Informative and educational
  • 🔍 Detailed solar system information
  • 🎨 Cool visuals and graphics

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
  • 🤔 Misleading 'free' claims
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🤯 Confusing user interface

Bugs and requests

xSky

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App keeps crashing
  • Location services not working/picking a country
  • App closes immediately upon opening
  • App is glitchy and moves by itself
  • Search button not working in horizontal position
Show 4 more
  • App not working on iPhone 12
  • App out of sync with reality
  • Sun located incorrectly at noon
  • Mercury in retrograde causing app to not open

Requested features

9 requests
  • Camera feature for high-quality photos
  • Ability to turn down exposure for photos
  • Facts read aloud about celestial objects
  • Traditional constellation names (e.g., Virgo, Taurus)
  • Show International Space Station or other satellites
Show 4 more
  • Option to turn off constellation lines
  • Improve search button size and usability
  • Fix search button in horizontal mode
  • More mythological graphics and information about stars

3D Solar System

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Planets displayed incorrectly
  • Subscription charges without consent
  • Inability to cancel subscription

Requested features

4 requests
  • More free content and features
  • Realistic planet models and animations
  • Expanded content beyond the solar system
  • Improved accessibility and usability

In-app purchases

None

xSky

No in-app purchases

12 purchases

3D Solar System

Subscriptions10
  • 1 Week Subscription$7.997 Days
  • 1 Month PRO3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • 1 month Sale2 Months trial$10.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • 12 months sale3 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • 6 months$19.996 Months
  • Astronomy guide - Sky atlas$19.991 Month
  • 12 months3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Astronomy guide - Sky atlas3 Days trial$29.993 Months
  • 2 Month Subscription3 Days trial$39.992 Months
  • 2 Months Subscription3 Days trial$39.992 Months
One-time2
  • Disable Ads Sale$9.99
  • Disable Ads$19.99

Questions

Is xSky free?
xSky is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is 3D Solar System free?
3D Solar System is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, xSky or 3D Solar System?
3D Solar System is rated higher. xSky averages 4.3 out of 5 from 80 ratings, while 3D Solar System averages 4.4 from 1.7K ratings.
Do xSky or 3D Solar System have ads?
3D Solar System shows ads; xSky does not.
Which is updated more often, xSky or 3D Solar System?
xSky ships an update every 3 months, and 3D Solar System fortnightly. Most recently, xSky was updated on October 20, 2026 and 3D Solar System on November 1, 2026.

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