# Solar System Scope vs Polar Explorer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Polar Explorer at none against Solar System Scope's 1. Polar Explorer also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). Solar System Scope's advantage is ratings volume (895 vs 10). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Solar System Scope sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Polar Explorer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Polar Explorer holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Solar System Scope has 895 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Solar System Scope's written reviews are positive against 100% of Polar Explorer's.

Solar System Scope ships an update every 4 months, Polar Explorer every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Solar System Scope | Polar Explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (895 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-system-scope/id863969175/reviews) | **[4.6 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polar-explorer-sea-level/id1056414420/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **895** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 79.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 154 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **6.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [INOVE, s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/863969178) | [Columbia University](https://appshunter.io/developer/405514802) |

## What reviewers say

### Solar System Scope

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-system-scope/id863969175)

Explore and discover the solar system and outer space with realistic 3D visualizations and detailed celestial simulations. This app offers an educational and engaging experience for all ages, featuring a comprehensive encyclopedia and a night sky observatory.

**Highlights:** 3D Encyclopedia of celestial bodies, Realistic 3D visualizations, Night sky observatory with time simulation, Accurate orbital parameter calculations, High-quality planetary and moon maps, Multilingual support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HQ Textures / No Ads | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing app
- 👍 Great for learning about space
- 🌟 Beautifully created
- 🔭 Realistic and detailed
- 🎓 Excellent for education

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔀 Orientation issues
- 🔒 Upgrade required for full functionality
- 🕰️ Difficulty pinpointing specific dates

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when dragging Jupiter
- Upside-down orientation on tablets
- Unable to restore purchases
- Freezes and crashes on launch

**Requested features**

- Add more celestial bodies (Messier objects, Planet 9/10, black holes, etc.)
- Enable exploration of other galaxies and deep space objects
- Improve telescope/zoom functionality
- Add more moons and irregular satellites
- Implement continental drift and solar system evolution


### Polar Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polar-explorer-sea-level/id1056414420)

Explore historical, current, and future sea levels through interactive maps and images. This educational app uses text and audio guidance to cover over 100 topics, engaging users with questions to deepen their understanding of climate science.

**Highlights:** Interactive sea level maps, Historical and future projections, Text and audio guidance, Over 100 exploration topics, Question-based learning

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Solar System Scope free?

Solar System Scope is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Polar Explorer free?

Polar Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Solar System Scope or Polar Explorer?

Polar Explorer is rated higher. Solar System Scope averages 4.4 out of 5 from 895 ratings, while Polar Explorer averages 4.6 from 10 ratings.

### Do Solar System Scope or Polar Explorer have ads?

Neither Solar System Scope nor Polar Explorer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Solar System Scope or Polar Explorer?

Solar System Scope ships an update every 4 months, and Polar Explorer every 2 weeks. Most recently, Solar System Scope was updated on November 1, 2026 and Polar Explorer on October 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*