Comparison

CosmAtlas vs Real Solar System

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

Head to head
About

CosmAtlas

Explore the Milky Way with a realistic physics simulator. Navigate the cosmos, land on planets and moons, and view the sky from different celestial bodies. Features detailed information on solar system objects, stars, and constellations.

Highlights
  • Milky Way simulation
  • Real physics engine
  • Explore planets and moons
  • Detailed celestial body data
  • View sky from different locations
  • Multi-language support
Features
Read full description

CosmAtlas is a powerful Milky Way simulator for iPhone and iPad devices, which applies real physics to calculate every single celestial body position at any time between the year 0 to year 9999. With this educational App you'll be able to navigate across the astronomical distances in our cosmos, land on the major planets and satellites and see the sky from there or read about it. Main Features - More than 400 Solar System bodies, including: - The 8 major planets; -177 Solar System natural satellites; - 295 comets (including the legendary Halley's Comet); - 11 dwarf planets (including Pluto); - 3 major asteroid groups: Asteroid Belt, Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud; - 1449 nearby bright stars; - The 88 modern constellations; - Real physics (celestial mechanics) on the objects positioning in relation of time; - See the sky from the surface of the major planets/dwarf planets, the sun and major satellites; - A few terrestrial planets and satellites will have an approximate terrain if your on the surface; - Atmospheric effects also tuned to the reality (that includes twilight sky colours). Languages Six languages available to maximise the educational reach: - English; - Spanish; - Portuguese; - Italian; - French; - German;

About

Real Solar System

Read full description

This solar system simulator reflects actual planetary position information. When the app is launched, the sun is positioned 20 cm in front of the device, based on the device's position. Around it, the eight main planets of the solar system and the celestial body to be observed orbit. The orbits are displayed as if they were trajectories. The position of each planet is calculated based on actual values. # Features - x] Realistic solar system with ARKit - x] Orbits of the 8 planets are displayed. - x] Planets are realistic textures imported from USDZ files. - x] Planet positions are calculated based on real values (using Horizons API) - x] The object to be observed can be changed. - x] Display of the orbit of the object of interest - x] Calculate the position of the target object based on actual values (using the Horizons API). - x] Adjustable speed (minus value for reverse rotation) - x] Zoom function (zoom in/zoom out) - x] Toggle the display of the text information and the coordinate axis (New!) ## How to use 1. when you launch the application, you will be asked for "permission to use camera" at the first startup. If you allow it, an ARKit session will start. 2. 2. a coordinate axis will be placed 20 cm in front of you, based on the device's position. 3. Tap the "Load Planet" button to load the planet model. Just wait a moment. 4. The 8 main planets of the solar system and the object to be observed will orbit around it. 5. Move the device to observe the solar system from various angles. 6. Tap the buttons at the bottom of the screen to adjust the speed and zoom. 7. You can change the object to be observed from the menu in the upper right corner of the screen. 1. Halley's Comet 2. Hayabusa2 & Ryugyu 3. Voyager 1 & 2 4. New Horizons & Pluto 5. Cassini (New!) 6. OSIRIS-REx & Bennu 7. Comparison of Circle and Ellipse 8. Geocentric theory (New!) 8. Toggle the display of the text information and the coordinate axis from the menu in the upper right corner of the screen. (New!)

Screenshots

CosmAtlas4 screens
Real Solar System4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: CosmAtlas at 4.1 against Real Solar System's 1.0. CosmAtlas also leads on ratings volume (17 vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.1 vs 17.6). Real Solar System's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 9 months). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CosmAtlas holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CosmAtlas has 17 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CosmAtlas ships an update every 9 months, Real Solar System monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
CosmAtlas versus Real Solar System: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCosmAtlasReal Solar System
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (17 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings17 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.1 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size868 MB302 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAurelio CalegariMasaya Nagaoka

In-app purchases

None

CosmAtlas

No in-app purchases

None

Real Solar System

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CosmAtlas free?
CosmAtlas is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Real Solar System free?
Real Solar System is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CosmAtlas or Real Solar System?
CosmAtlas is rated higher. CosmAtlas averages 4.1 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Real Solar System averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do CosmAtlas or Real Solar System have ads?
Neither CosmAtlas nor Real Solar System shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CosmAtlas or Real Solar System?
CosmAtlas ships an update every 9 months, and Real Solar System monthly. Most recently, CosmAtlas was updated on October 24, 2026 and Real Solar System on October 24, 2026.

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