Comparison

3D Solar System vs Celestia

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

Head to head
About

3D Solar System

Explore the solar system in 3D and augmented reality. Learn about planets, moons, stars, and constellations through interactive models, scientific facts, and engaging quizzes. Create your own planets with AI.

Highlights
  • 3D & AR Solar System models
  • Scientific facts about celestial bodies
  • Interactive star map
  • Engaging educational tasks and quizzes
  • AI-powered planet creation
Features
Read full description

Have you ever wanted to hold the Solar System in your hands? Now you can. 3D Solar System turns your device into a window to the planets, constellations, and stars beyond. Solar System in 3D and AR Travel from the Sun to the icy edge of deep space — a planetary journey of nearly 15 billion kilometers through our cosmic backyard. Study planets, moons, dwarf planets, and two major asteroid fields: the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter, and the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune. See how tiny Earth looks next to Jupiter. Zoom in on planets' craters, spin Saturn's rings, and realize just how vast the universe really is. Interactive star map for passionate stargazers A complete map of the night sky with gyroscope support. Tilt your device toward the ceiling and explore constellations like a true space explorer — as if you were standing under a real night sky. Learn each constellation's name, its ancient stories, and the astronomy behind them. Learn to identify Orion, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia and discover dozens more. What you can do: ► Study planets — from scorched Mercury to icy Neptune — along with moons, dwarf planets, and bright constellations like a real astronomer. ► Test your knowledge with quizzes, planet order challenges, "True or False", and mythology questions. Learn who the planets are named after, how long a day lasts on Pluto, and what makes a star shine. ► Create your own planet using AI — design it, name it, and explore it. 714,000+ people have downloaded our app. To put that in perspective: that's 79 times more than all the stars you can see in the night sky with your own eyes. Some features may require a subscription. Free version includes: basic planet info, part of the constellation catalog, some quizzes and tests, star map, and AI planet generation (up to 2 planets). Subscription unlocks: full content about the Solar System, full constellation catalog, all quizzes and tests, planet cross-sections, unlimited AI planet generation. Every planet is different. Each constellation has a story. The universe is waiting — and it's bigger than you ever imagined. Explore all planets, learn every constellation, and become the space explorer you've always wanted to be. Start your journey through space today. Privacy Policy: http://educationterra.com/privacy Terms Of Use: https://educationterra.com/tos

About

Celestia

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
Read full description

Celestia — real-time 3D visualization of space 3D Space Simulator | Celestia lets you explore our universe in three dimensions. Celestia simulates many different types of celestial objects. From planets and moons to star clusters and galaxies, you can visit every object in the expandable database and view it from any point in space and time. The position and movement of solar system objects is calculated accurately in real time at any rate desired. Interactive Planetarium | Celestia serves as a planetarium – for an observer on any celestial object. You can easily navigate to any world and land on its surface. When used as a planetarium, Celestia shows accurate positions of solar system objects in the sky. You can switch labels and other supporting features on and off with hotkeys, or zoom in and out on an object of interest, for example Jupiter’s system of moons. Expandable Content | Customize Celestia according to your needs. Celestia’s catalogues can be easily expanded. There are many different add-ons available containing new objects like comets or stars, high-resolution textures of Earth and other well mapped solar system bodies, as well as 3D models for asteroids and spacecraft on precise trajectories. Even fictional objects from well-known sci-fi franchises can be found. EULA(End User License Agreement): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

3D Solar System4 screens
Celestia4 screens

Verdict

The call

3D Solar System and Celestia both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 78% of Celestia's written reviews are positive against 29% of 3D Solar System's. Celestia also leads on ads (none vs shown) and device support (4 vs 2). 3D Solar System's advantage is ratings volume (1.7K vs 324). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. 3D Solar System sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for 3D Solar System against 4.4 for Celestia. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 3D Solar System has 1.7K ratings behind it against 324, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of 3D Solar System's written reviews are positive against 78% of Celestia's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

3D Solar System ships an update fortnightly, Celestia every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
3D Solar System versus Celestia: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter3D Solar SystemCelestia
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (1.7K ratings)4.4 (324 ratings)
Positive reviews28.6% of reviews78.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.7K — better324
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size347 MB545 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEducation Terra林峰 李

Customer experience

3D Solar System

All ratings1,689 ratings
Positive85.0%
Neutral4.7%
Negative10.3%
Written reviews154 reviews
Positive28.6%
Neutral5.2%
Negative66.2%

Celestia

All ratings324 ratings
Positive83.0%
Neutral4.3%
Negative12.7%
Written reviews249 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral5.6%
Negative16.1%

User reviews

3D Solar System

From 1.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Informative and educational
  • 🔍 Detailed solar system information
  • 🎨 Cool visuals and graphics

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
  • 🤔 Misleading 'free' claims
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🤯 Confusing user interface

Celestia

From 324 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

Bugs and requests

3D Solar System

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Planets displayed incorrectly
  • Subscription charges without consent
  • Inability to cancel subscription

Requested features

4 requests
  • More free content and features
  • Realistic planet models and animations
  • Expanded content beyond the solar system
  • Improved accessibility and usability

Celestia

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

In-app purchases

12 purchases

3D Solar System

Subscriptions10
  • 1 Week Subscription$7.997 Days
  • 1 Month PRO3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • 1 month Sale2 Months trial$10.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • 12 months sale3 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • 6 months$19.996 Months
  • Astronomy guide - Sky atlas$19.991 Month
  • 12 months3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Astronomy guide - Sky atlas3 Days trial$29.993 Months
  • 2 Month Subscription3 Days trial$29.992 Months
  • 2 Months Subscription3 Days trial$39.992 Months
One-time2
  • Disable Ads Sale$9.99
  • Disable Ads$19.99
4 purchases

Celestia

Subscriptions3
  • Celestia PLUS (Weekly)7 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Celestia PLUS (Monthly)$1.991 Month
  • Celestia PLUS (Yearly)$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Celestia PLUS (Lifetime)$79.99

Questions

Is 3D Solar System free?
3D Solar System 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, 3D Solar System or Celestia?
3D Solar System and Celestia are both rated 4.4 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.7K and 324 ratings respectively.
Do 3D Solar System or Celestia have ads?
3D Solar System shows ads; Celestia does not.
Which is updated more often, 3D Solar System or Celestia?
3D Solar System ships an update fortnightly, and Celestia every 2 weeks. Most recently, 3D Solar System was updated on September 22, 2026 and Celestia on September 21, 2026.

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