# Orbit vs Solar System Sim

The clearest difference is ads: Orbit at none against Solar System Sim's shown. Orbit also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (94% vs 80%). Solar System Sim's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Orbit sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Solar System Sim sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Orbit holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.6K and 4.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Orbit's written reviews are positive against 80% of Solar System Sim's.

Orbit ships an update every 2 months, Solar System Sim every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Orbit | Solar System Sim |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (7.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbit-playing-with-gravity/id991457817/reviews)** | [4.5 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-system-sim/id6447612221/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.6K** | 4.1K |
| Positive reviews | **94.4% of reviews** | 79.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 130 MB | 512 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HIGHKEY Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1170680369) | [WPC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681830786) |

## What reviewers say

### Orbit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbit-playing-with-gravity/id991457817)

This app is a meditative physics puzzler where you launch planets to create stable orbits around black holes. Explore a variety of levels, create your own challenges in a sandbox mode, and enjoy a visually artistic and relaxing experience.

**Highlights:** Gravity simulation puzzles, Create stable orbits, Sandbox mode for level creation, Community-created levels, Visual orbital mechanics, Minimalist graphics and relaxing music

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $1 contribution | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| $2 contribution | $1.99 | one-time |
| $3 contribution | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Sandbox (and remove ads) | $2.99 | one-time |
| $5 contribution | $4.99 | one-time |
| $10 contribution | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fire game
- 👍 Relaxing and Enjoyable
- 👍 Calming, fun, stimulating, humble
- 👍 Simple and yet complicated
- 👍 Elegant and easy

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 In app purchased not reicevied
- 🐛 Purchase didn't work for sandbox & ad removal but it's fun.
- 🔒 Be ware of your data
- 🐛 Love-hate

**Reported bugs**

- In app purchase not received
- Sandbox mode not working
- Game crashing and unable to open

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to zoom in and out
- Ability to rotate the game to landscape on iPad
- Ability to edit and move existing objects in sandbox mode
- Ability to name planets and add moons


### 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 Orbit free?

Orbit 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, Orbit or Solar System Sim?

Orbit is rated higher. Orbit averages 4.8 out of 5 from 7.6K ratings, while Solar System Sim averages 4.5 from 4.1K ratings.

### Do Orbit or Solar System Sim have ads?

Solar System Sim shows ads; Orbit does not.

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

Orbit ships an update every 2 months, and Solar System Sim every 3 weeks. Most recently, Orbit was updated on September 23, 2026 and Solar System Sim on September 24, 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.*