SpaceStationAR LITE vs Zenith
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SpaceStationAR LITE
Explore the night sky with augmented reality. This app overlays satellite passes, stars, and celestial objects onto your real-world view. Track the ISS, Starlink trains, and more, with calendar events and map visualizations.
- AR satellite pass simulation
- Display of stars, galaxies, and spacecraft
- Satellite pass visualization on maps
- Global map of satellite orbits
- Calendar of upcoming passes and launches
- Offline app usage
- Satellite pass notifications
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SpaceStationAR is an augmented reality (AR) application that simulates the visibility of satellites in the night sky. With SpaceStationAR, you can easily spot the brilliant International Space Station, spectacular Starlink Trains, and various satellites at the forefront of space exploration with your own eyes. As your iPhone or iPad camera captures the scenery around you, SpaceStationAR overlays passes of the International Space Station, the Starlink Train (a group of Starlink satellites), and the Chinese Space Station onto the actual scenery. You can also use the app to find bright stars, galaxies, spacecrafts like Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, and even see the direction of major cities beyond the ground. SpaceStationAR also indicates the positions of geostationary satellites, making it a valuable tool for antenna installation. You can easily access satellite orbits on maps in addition to the AR views. The "Calendar" tab displays events like upcoming satellite passes and rocket launches within the next two weeks. You can choose a pass from the list and simulate it in AR. Apple Watch app and "Today" widget are also available. They show simple lists of satellites' passes. LITE version has some restrictions. AR prediction stops 30 minutes before the passes. Full version without Ads and with the sky chat view is available on the store. http://itunes.apple.com/app/torisat/id361194118?mt=8 List of Features * AR simulation of satellite passes overlaid on real landscapes * Display of stars, galaxies, black holes, planetary probes, satellites, and world cities in AR (Visibility can be customized by type) * Visualization of satellite passes on maps * Presentation of satellite orbits and current locations on a global map * Calendar listing satellite passes within the next two weeks * Support for newly launched satellites * Offline app usage * Satellite pass notifications: Set notification times from 15 minutes to 6 hours before the event for accurate alerts. (Please allow background location updates for precise notifications. Disabling this feature may lead to inaccurate notifications when traveling long distances with the app closed.)
Zenith
Explore Earth in a 3D simulation and track the International Space Station's real-time orbit. Experience a rotating planet with dynamic soundscapes and see the current number of astronauts on board.
- 3D Earth simulation
- Real-time ISS orbit tracking
- Live astronaut count
- Dynamic soundscapes
- Earth rotation view
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Zenith shows the International Space Station live on a 3D globe, and tells you when to see it with your own eyes. • Live position, altitude, speed, day or night — updated every 5 seconds • The camera follows the station; spin the Earth with a finger • Upcoming visible passes over you: time, direction, height • A free alert before the best pass of the week • The crew on board: photos, agencies, days in orbit • Ambient space soundscape ZENITH+ • An alert before every visible pass • Full 10-day forecast • Choose your alert time: 2, 5, 10 or 15 minutes • Predicted orbit on the globe Zenith+ is available as a monthly or yearly subscription (7-day free trial on yearly), or as a one-time lifetime purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period; manage them in Settings › Apple ID › Subscriptions. Your location stays on your iPhone. No ads. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Zenith at none against SpaceStationAR LITE's shown. Zenith also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). SpaceStationAR LITE's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 13 months) and ratings volume (140 vs 5). On price 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Zenith holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SpaceStationAR LITE has 140 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.
SpaceStationAR LITE ships an update fortnightly, Zenith every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SpaceStationAR LITE | Zenith |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (140 ratings) | 4.8 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 46.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 140 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 13 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Toriningen Co.,Ltd. | Aurelien Grifasi |
In-app purchases
SpaceStationAR LITE
No in-app purchases
Zenith
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SpaceStationAR LITE free?
Is Zenith free?
Which has better reviews, SpaceStationAR LITE or Zenith?
Do SpaceStationAR LITE or Zenith have ads?
Which is updated more often, SpaceStationAR LITE or Zenith?
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