Comparison

Planetary Weather vs Heliosphere

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

Heliosphere

Explore a real-time 3D simulation of the solar system, planets, moons, and spacecraft using accurate astronomical data. Learn about celestial bodies and space missions with educational content and quizzes.

Highlights
  • Real-time 3D solar system simulation
  • Live spacecraft tracking
  • Deep sky exploration
  • Comprehensive astronomy education
  • Time travel from 1900 to 2100
  • Planet-centric viewing mode
Features
Read full description

Explore the solar system at your fingertips. Heliosphere is a real-time 3D solar system simulation powered by NASA JPL Horizons data. It accurately recreates the orbits of planets, moons, comets, and dwarf planets while tracking the real positions of active spacecraft. * Real-time 3D Solar System Simulation — 8 planets, 5 dwarf planets, 10+ moons, and 4 comets — Precise Keplerian orbit calculations based on real astronomical data — Time travel from 1900 to 2100 — Pan, zoom, and rotate for a free-roaming perspective — Switch to planet-centric viewing mode * Live Spacecraft Tracking — Voyager 1, 2 | Pioneer 10, 11 — Cassini | Juno | New Horizons | Parker Solar Probe — Real position data from NASA JPL Horizons API * Deep Sky Exploration — Over 150 bright stars — 530 Milky Way stars — 124 deep-sky objects (Messier, NGC/IC catalogs) * Comprehensive Astronomy Education — 6 difficulty levels from middle school to graduate — Core concepts: Kepler's Laws, gravity, escape velocity, and more — Mission timelines for Voyager, Cassini, New Horizons, and others — 60+ quiz questions to test your knowledge — Historical space event date-guessing challenges * Free for Everyone — All content available at no cost — No ads — 11 languages supported Experience the beauty of the cosmos and the wonder of science through scientifically accurate data and intuitive interaction.

Screenshots

Planetary Weather4 screens
Heliosphere4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Planetary Weather at 100% against Heliosphere's 50%. Planetary Weather also leads on rating (3.8 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (12 vs 2). Heliosphere's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 7 months) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 and Heliosphere sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Planetary Weather holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Planetary Weather has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Planetary Weather's written reviews are positive against 50% of Heliosphere's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Planetary Weather ships an update every 7 months, Heliosphere every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Planetary Weather versus Heliosphere: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlanetary WeatherHeliosphere
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (12 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Vision Pro
Requires iOS6.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size118 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTechnospiritsCHUNGKIL KIM

Customer experience

Planetary Weather

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

Heliosphere

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Planetary Weather

One-time2
  • Gas Giants$0.99
  • Moon Pack$1.99
3 purchases

Heliosphere

One-time3
  • 1 Coffee$2.99
  • 3 Coffees$8.99
  • 5 Coffees$14.99

Questions

Is Planetary Weather free?
Planetary Weather is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Heliosphere free?
Heliosphere is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Planetary Weather or Heliosphere?
Planetary Weather is rated higher. Planetary Weather averages 3.8 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Heliosphere averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Planetary Weather or Heliosphere have ads?
Neither Planetary Weather nor Heliosphere shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Planetary Weather or Heliosphere?
Planetary Weather ships an update every 7 months, and Heliosphere every 3 days. Most recently, Planetary Weather was updated on October 23, 2026 and Heliosphere on October 24, 2026.

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