# Solar System Scope vs Celestia

The clearest difference is update cadence: Celestia at every 2 weeks against Solar System Scope's every 4 months. Solar System Scope's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Solar System Scope sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Celestia sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Solar System Scope against 4.4 for Celestia. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 882 and 324 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Solar System Scope's written reviews are positive against 78% of Celestia's.

Solar System Scope ships an update every 4 months, Celestia every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Solar System Scope | Celestia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (882 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-system-scope/id863969175/reviews) | [4.4 (324 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **882** | 324 |
| Positive reviews | 76.4% of reviews | **78.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 154 MB | 545 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [INOVE, s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/863969178) | [林峰 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1186547508) |

## 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


### Celestia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestia-space-simulator/id1500434829)

Explore the universe in real-time 3D. Visit planets, moons, star clusters, and galaxies, viewing them from any point in space and time. Customize your experience with expandable content and detailed simulations.

**Highlights:** Real-time 3D space visualization, Explore planets, moons, stars, galaxies, Accurate solar system object positions, Interactive planetarium mode, Expandable content with add-ons, Customizable celestial databases

**Features:** Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Celestia PLUS (Weekly) | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Celestia PLUS (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Celestia PLUS (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| Celestia PLUS (Lifetime) | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Realistic space simulation
- 🌌 Ability to explore galaxies and star systems
- 🔍 Detailed planet and moon textures
- 📷 Great for taking screenshots
- 🤖 Reminds users of Space Engine

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🌌 Limited exploration beyond Milky Way and Andromeda
- 🌍 Flat terrain on planets
- 🔍 Lack of detail on some celestial objects
- 🔒 Paywall for some features

**Reported bugs**

- Milky Way and other galaxy textures not loading properly
- Crashes when using certain add-ons
- Issues with planet and moon orbits not being accurate

**Requested features**

- Add more exoplanets and distant star systems
- Implement terrain generation for planets
- Expand to include more galaxies and the overall universe structure
- Add support for black holes, pulsars, and other exotic objects
- Improve controls and camera movement


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Solar System Scope free?

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

### Is Celestia free?

Celestia is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Solar System Scope or Celestia?

Solar System Scope and Celestia are both rated 4.4 out of 5 on the App Store, from 882 and 324 ratings respectively.

### Do Solar System Scope or Celestia have ads?

Neither Solar System Scope nor Celestia shows ads.

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

Solar System Scope ships an update every 4 months, and Celestia every 2 weeks. Most recently, Solar System Scope was updated on September 22, 2026 and Celestia on September 21, 2026.

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