Comparison

Planetary Weather vs DIY Solar System

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

Head to head
About

Planetary Weather

Explore real-time weather conditions on planets, moons, and the Sun in a stunning 3D solar system model. Get daily temperature and wind speed forecasts with accurate data.

Highlights
  • Daily temperature and wind speed forecasts
  • Data for planets, moons, and the Sun
  • Accurate estimates from NASA/NOAA
  • Stunning 3D solar system renders
  • Metric or Imperial units
  • High-quality graphics
Features
Read full description

Ever wanted to know today's temperature on Mars, or the current wind speed on Saturn? Now you can! Check out today's average temperature and wind speed on every planet in the solar system, as well as the most important moons and the Sun, all while viewing the solar system in stunning 3D the likes of which you have never seen before on your phone! Features Include: • Daily temperature and wind speed forecasts for all the planets, important moons, the Sun, and of course, Pluto. • Accurate estimates of daily planetary weather conditions based on NASA and NOAA data. • Correct Time of day for earth and lunar phase for our moon • Beautiful 3D renders of the solar system for you to explore • Metric or Imperial units • Among the highest quality graphics you've ever seen in a solar system application.

About

DIY Solar System

Explore the solar system with interactive activities and an augmented reality planet walk. Learn about space travel, design a moon base, and identify celestial objects. Developed by leading science institutions, this app makes learning about space engaging for families and educators.

Highlights
  • Interactive space activities
  • Augmented reality planet walk
  • Design a moon base
  • Grow a space garden
  • Control a Mars rover
  • In or Out space game
  • NASA imagery
Features
Read full description

DIY Solar System makes it easy for families and educators to explore the solar system from anywhere, anytime! The app was developed by the Children’s Creativity Museum, Sciencenter, and Museum of Life and Science, in partnership with UC Berkeley’s The Lawrence Hall of Science. INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES DIY Solar System includes 11 easy-to-use activities to learn about space travel, living in space, and the unique objects that make up the planetary system we call home. Design a Moon base, grow your own space garden, or experience what it’s like to control a rover on Mars! 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! AUGMENTED REALITY PLANET WALK Don’t have the time to travel several billion miles to reach Neptune? Try dropping a scale version of the solar system outside your home to start a walk that will show you planets, dwarf planets, and asteroids. At each stop, examine the space object up close using real images from NASA. Don’t forget to take a space selfie with your favorite planet! IN OR OUT GAME Quickly scan awe-inspiring images of space objects from NASA’s Earth and space observatories to decide if the objects are in or out of the solar system. While the solar system is vast, it only represents a tiny corner of the universe. After you have mastered your solar system knowledge, challenge yourself to a new round of objects in or out of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. Funding Source This work was supported by NASA under award number 80NSSC21M0082. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these programs are those of the author and do not reflect the views of NASA. Compatibility Requires iOS 12.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone and iPad. Rated 4+.

Screenshots

Planetary Weather4 screens
DIY Solar System4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: DIY Solar System at 4.5 against Planetary Weather's 4.0. DIY Solar System also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). Planetary Weather's advantage is iOS requirement (6.0 vs 12.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. Planetary Weather sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. DIY Solar System asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DIY Solar System holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 16 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Planetary Weather ships an update every 7 months, DIY Solar System every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Planetary Weather versus DIY Solar System: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlanetary WeatherDIY Solar System
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (11 ratings)4.5 (16 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1116 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS6.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size118 MB180 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTechnospiritsThe Lawrence Hall of Science

Customer experience

Planetary Weather

All ratings11 ratings
Positive72.7%
Neutral9.1%
Negative18.2%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

DIY Solar System

All ratings16 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Planetary Weather

One-time2
  • Gas Giants$0.99
  • Moon Pack$1.99
None

DIY Solar System

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Planetary Weather free?
Planetary Weather is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DIY Solar System free?
DIY Solar System is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Planetary Weather or DIY Solar System?
DIY Solar System is rated higher. Planetary Weather averages 4.0 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while DIY Solar System averages 4.5 from 16 ratings.
Do Planetary Weather or DIY Solar System have ads?
Neither Planetary Weather nor DIY Solar System shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Planetary Weather or DIY Solar System?
Planetary Weather ships an update every 7 months, and DIY Solar System every 2 months. Most recently, Planetary Weather was updated on October 12, 2026 and DIY Solar System on October 13, 2026.

Other comparisons