# Space Simulator vs Solar System Sim

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Solar System Sim at 80% against Space Simulator's 15%. Solar System Sim also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.7) and ratings volume (4.2K vs 86). Space Simulator's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Space Simulator sells 26 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Solar System Sim sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Solar System Sim holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Solar System Sim has 4.2K ratings behind it against 86, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 15% of Space Simulator's written reviews are positive against 80% of Solar System Sim's.

Space Simulator ships an update every 9 days, Solar System Sim fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Space Simulator | Solar System Sim |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-simulator/id884510216/reviews) | **[4.5 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-system-sim/id6447612221/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 86 | **4.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 14.6% of reviews | **79.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 279 MB | 514 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thetis Consulting](https://appshunter.io/developer/339173067) | [WPC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681830786) |

## What reviewers say

### Space Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/space-simulator/id884510216)

Experience a highly accurate space flight simulation with realistic physics and celestial bodies. Explore our solar system, witness Earth's rotation, and navigate through asteroid rings. This app offers an immersive astronaut experience with real-world weather and G-force simulations.

**Highlights:** Realistic spaceship physics, Solar system exploration, Real-time Earth rotation, Planet moons and asteroid rings, Weather forecast and G-force simulation, Nasa-based terrain and textures

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (26)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Club Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Club Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Club Yearly | $24.99 | per month |
| Remove Ads forever | $0.99 | one-time |
| Discovery Space Shuttle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Challenger Space Shuttle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Endeavour Space Shuttle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Columbia Space Shuttle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Moon Launch Site | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mars Launch Site | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starlight ZR6 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Artemis Rocket | $4.99 | one-time |
| Soyuz Rocket | $4.99 | one-time |
| Aegean SR8 | $4.99 | one-time |
| RX6 Rimward | $4.99 | one-time |
| Saturn V Rocket | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starship Rocket | $4.99 | one-time |
| Long March 5 Rocket | $4.99 | one-time |
| ZR3 Arminus | $5.99 | one-time |
| F3 Crusader | $5.99 | one-time |
| Space Shuttles Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| All Launch Sites | $6.99 | one-time |
| Oberon M2 | $6.99 | one-time |
| All Rockets | $12.99 | one-time |
| All Tykhon Corp SpaceShips | $24.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All Aircraft | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Good graphics and visuals
- 🌍 Ability to explore planets and space
- ⚙️ Decent physics mechanics
- 🎮 Fun exploration gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Cannot land on planets or re-enter atmosphere
- 📺 Excessive and intrusive ads throughout gameplay
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases ($4.99-$16 for ships/content)
- 🎮 Lack of gameplay depth and objectives
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes frequently when entering space
- App freezes randomly, especially on iPad
- Shuttle burns up even on the moon and during proper re-entry attempts
- FlyWings ad blocks entire screen and cannot be closed
- Game kicks player out when attempting to return to Earth

**Requested features**

- Add ability to land on planets and explore them
- Implement proper atmospheric re-entry mechanics
- Add more spacecraft/rocket options
- Create airports and landing sites on Earth
- Add satellite deployment functionality


### Solar System Sim

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-system-sim/id6447612221)

Simulate and explore celestial bodies within our solar system and beyond. Create your own solar systems, experiment with gravity and physics, and observe orbital mechanics in action.

**Highlights:** Explore planets and moons, Visit nearby stars, Create custom solar systems, Gravity and physics simulation, Recalculate orbits, Newton's laws implementation

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HD Mars | $2.99 | one-time |
| HD Earth | $2.99 | one-time |
| HD Moon | $2.99 | one-time |
| No-ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| HD 3-body pack | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Realistic simulation
- 🚀 Detailed solar system
- 🚀 Ability to create custom solar systems
- 🚀 Impressive graphics
- 🚀 Frequent updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💰 Excessive ads
- 🐛 Saving and loading issues
- 🐛 Unstable orbits

**Reported bugs**

- Planets/moons disappearing after saving and loading
- Bright flashes and screen distortions
- Planets/objects getting stuck inside stars
- Crashes when colliding or editing certain objects
- Inconsistent orbital mechanics and moons ejecting from planets

**Requested features**

- Add more galaxy and nebula textures
- Implement realistic supernova effects
- Allow customization of planet atmospheres and terrain
- Add binary star systems and rogue planets
- Introduce a galaxy maker and collision feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Space Simulator free?

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

### Is Solar System Sim free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Space Simulator or Solar System Sim?

Solar System Sim is rated higher. Space Simulator averages 2.7 out of 5 from 86 ratings, while Solar System Sim averages 4.5 from 4.2K ratings.

### Do Space Simulator or Solar System Sim have ads?

Both Space Simulator and Solar System Sim show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Space Simulator or Solar System Sim?

Space Simulator ships an update every 9 days, and Solar System Sim fortnightly. Most recently, Space Simulator was updated on September 29, 2026 and Solar System Sim on October 1, 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.*