Comparison

Orbitrack vs The Sky Pro by Redshift

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

Head to head
About

Orbitrack

Explore thousands of satellites in orbit with this augmented and virtual reality spaceflight simulator. Visualize spacecraft, track their paths, and learn about their missions with detailed 3D models and real-time data. Experience space from a new perspective.

Highlights
  • Augmented and Virtual Reality modes
  • Track over 5000 spacecraft
  • Detailed 3D satellite models
  • Voice-controlled VR
  • Radio frequency data for amateur satellites
  • Real-time satellite data updates
  • Time Flow controls
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Orbitrack is a brand-new, Augmented-and-Virtual-Reality satellite tracker and spaceflight simulator! It's your pocket guide to the thousands of spacecraft in orbit around our home planet. 1) More than 16,000 spacecraft, including all active satellites, classified military satellites, the International Space Station, and SpaceX's Starlink communication satellites. 2) Rich new graphics, rewritten using Apple's Metal graphics API, show atmospheric effects, city lights on Earth’s night side, and highly-detailed 3D satellite models. 3) Voice-controlled Virtual Reality mode that works with any smartphone VR viewer. iPhone only. 4) A true "augmented reality" mode that helps you find satellites in the sky by blending the sky chart with video from your phone's camera. Works with Orbit and Satellite views too! 5) Radio frequency data for amateur radio satellites. 6) Updated descriptions for hundreds of spacecraft. Every satellite now has a description from n2yo.com. 7) Supports the latest Apple hardware and software: iPhone 13, iPad Pro, and iOS 15. Check the Mac App Store for our MacOS version! 8) Requires at least iPhone 6 or iPad Air with 64-bit processor and iOS 12 or later. 9) New sound effects and ambient background music. 10) New Time Flow controls let you easily set the date and time, and animate the view. If you're new to Orbitrack, here's what it can do: • Track thousands of satellites. Orbitrack will tell you when spacecraft pass overhead, show you where to find them in the sky, and let you track them across the planet. • Teach you about the International Space Station, Starlink, and hundreds of other satellites in orbit, with comprehensive mission descriptions. • Show the view from any satellite, and see the Earth from orbit just as the “bird” sees it! Orbitrack includes detailed 3D models for dozens of satellites – see them up close from any angle! • Stay on top of the space race. Orbitrack updates its satellite data from n2yo.com and celestrak.com every hour. When new spacecraft are launched, maneuver into new orbits, or fall back into the atmosphere, Orbitrack shows you what’s happening up there, right now. Orbitrack isn’t just powerful – it’s incredibly easy to use! You don’t need an aerospace degree to become an expert satellite tracker. Orbitrack puts advanced capabilities at your fingertips, with the same intuitive touch interface you use every day. The new VR mode is an out-of-this-world experience. Become an astronaut without ever leaving Planet Earth! And if that’s not enough, Orbitrack includes detailed, built-in Help – and expert, responsive technical support.

About

The Sky Pro by Redshift

Explore the cosmos with a comprehensive planetarium and knowledge base. Discover celestial objects, track their movements, and plan your observations. Features include augmented reality, 3D models, and educational content.

Highlights
  • Award-winning planetarium with 100,000+ stars
  • Accurate simulation of celestial phenomena
  • Real-time satellite tracking
  • Augmented reality sky view
  • 3D models of celestial objects
  • Telescope control (with subscription)
Features
Read full description

The Sky Pro by Redshift is your tool and your knowledge base when it comes to cosmic objects. Planets and moons, asteroids and comets, stars and deep-sky objects - explore the night sky and enjoy astronomy with The Sky Pro. Discover fascinating celestial objects and learn more about them. See what is happening in the sky tonight or travel through time to observe the objects on their orbits and to see how the constellations in the sky change. Features: • Award-winning planetarium with over 100,000 stars, 10,000 spectacular deep-sky objects and thousands of other celestial objects • Explore the night sky with unique brilliance and precision • Determine rising and setting times and plan your observations • Travel through time • Accurate simulation of planetary orbits, solar and lunar eclipses, conjunctions and many other celestial phenomena • Real-time tracking of satellites and space missions • Free update service to get the latest orbital data for satellites, comets and asteroids • Augmented reality to merge the sky in Redshift and the surrounding environment • Fascinating 3D models of the planets, moons, asteroids and many deep-sky objects • Land on the planets and moons to observe the sky from there • Breathtaking space flights to planets, moons and stars as well as distant galaxies and colorful nebulae • Comprehensive scientific data on celestial objects and their position, transit and visibility • Wide range of functions, yet easy to use • Numerous sky view settings, including a "Night View" option • "Today's Night Sky" and "My Favorites" show you what's going on in the sky tonight • Calendar for planning observation of solar and lunar eclipses • 25 interesting and educational chapters of "Discover Astronomy" • Share your most spectacular Redshift experiences via iMessage • Apple Watch connectivity helps you observe the sky Would you like to use this app as a professional tool for controlling your telescope? Extend the app with the professional subscription The Sky Ultimate and get one of the most powerful planetariums in the world. Configure your own sky views, find your perfect observation targets among millions of celestial objects, control your telescope, make fascinating journeys into space and experience the heavenly bodies up close. Features of The Sky Ultimate: • Your daily assistant for successful sky observation • Huge database with more than 2,500,000 stars and 70,000 deep-sky objects • Online access to more than one billion stars from the USNO-B1.0 and GAIA DR3 catalogues • Powerful sky calendar and precise location and visibility data for all objects • Telescope control for Meade or Celestron telescopes (except Celestron NexStar Evolution series) • Notifications so you never miss a celestial event • Ability to save an unlimited number of sky views with the option to send them to friends or reopen them in Redshift • Professional solar eclipse map showing the exact path of the Moon's shadow across the Earth's surface • Simulation of brightness variations of new stars and supernovae • Database of stars with exoplanets • Calculation of the trajectories of asteroids and comets with the unique numerical integration • Ability to select the exact landing site on a planet or moon • Tracking of the exact trajectory of satellites above the Earth ***** Questions or suggestions for improvements: Mail to support@redshiftsky.com We are looking forward to your feedback! For more information on news and updates: redshiftsky.com www.redshiftsky.com/en/terms-of-use/ *****

Screenshots

Orbitrack4 screens
The Sky Pro by Redshift4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Orbitrack at none against The Sky Pro by Redshift's 3. Orbitrack also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 62%) and chart position (#42 vs unranked). The Sky Pro by Redshift's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads 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

Orbitrack costs $4.99 and The Sky Pro by Redshift $6.99 up front. The Sky Pro by Redshift sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Orbitrack asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Orbitrack against 4.8 for The Sky Pro by Redshift. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 962 and 335 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Orbitrack's written reviews are positive against 62% of The Sky Pro by Redshift's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Orbitrack ships an update every 4 months, The Sky Pro by Redshift every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Orbitrack versus The Sky Pro by Redshift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOrbitrackThe Sky Pro by Redshift
Price$4.99 — better$6.99
Rating4.7 (962 ratings)4.8 (335 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.6% of reviews — better61.5% of reviews
Number of ratings962 — better335
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#42 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.615.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size138 MB1.1 GB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSouthern Stars Group, LLCUnited Soft Media Verlag GmbH

Customer experience

Orbitrack

All ratings962 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews78 reviews
Positive75.6%
Neutral9.0%
Negative15.4%

The Sky Pro by Redshift

All ratings335 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews52 reviews
Positive61.5%
Neutral7.7%
Negative30.8%

User reviews

Orbitrack

From 962 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great features
  • 👍 User-friendly
  • 💡 Innovative tracking
  • 🔍 Detailed satellite information
  • 🌍 Realistic Earth and sky views

Room to improve

  • 🤑 Paid app
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes
  • 🔊 Annoying music
  • 🗺️ Outdated satellite data
  • 🔍 Inaccurate magnitude estimates

The Sky Pro by Redshift

From 335 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Nice fresh look
  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive
  • 🔭 Detailed astronomical data
  • 🌌 Immersive 3D flights

Room to improve

  • 💸 Expensive subscription model
  • 💰 Double charging for purchases
  • 🤔 Vague upgrade details
  • 📉 Old version removed
  • 😕 Limited free trial

Bugs and requests

Orbitrack

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Motion tracking issues
  • Stuck on old date
  • Accelerometer not working
  • Satellite positions not accurate

Requested features

5 requests
  • Sort by magnitude feature
  • Favorite satellites option
  • Customizable field of view
  • Notifications for visible passes
  • Metric/imperial toggle

The Sky Pro by Redshift

Reported bugs

31 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • App crashes on iPad
  • Compass calibration issues (20° off)
  • Settings reset to default sporadically
  • Ultimate trial expired before fix
Show 26 more
  • No reply from developer
  • Ultimate trial cannot be used again
  • Ultimate trial didn't add features
  • Ultimate version not unlocking
  • App frozen on launch screen
  • Login issues
  • Information inaccurate (sun rise, moon phase)
  • Follow sky error message
  • App not working
  • Cannot see anything on display
  • Sky scan not possible
  • Time option limited to 1600 AD
  • Telescope control lost on reinstallation
  • Extended time frames lost on reinstallation
  • App not opening
  • Himmelscan not correct
  • App not activating after review
  • Constellation lines delay
  • Comet Atlas C/2019 Y4 not appearing
  • Famous comets only in subscription
  • Does not retain preference settings
  • Crashes when search icon is hit
  • Spacecraft section disappeared
  • Conjunction and meteor shower info missing
  • Rocket button placement issue
  • App freezes on launch screen with spinning loader

Requested features

19 requests
  • More details on Ultimate upgrade
  • Ability to fly to other galaxies
  • More distant stars accessible
  • Add JWST
  • More range to view universe
Show 14 more
  • Rotate universe from greater distance
  • Add nearby galaxies (LMC, SMC, Andromeda)
  • Always show constellation images
  • Add conjunction and meteor shower info
  • More flexible subscription options
  • Show planets visible and when, moon rise/set, best deep sky objects in 'Today's Sky'
  • Add more satellites
  • Add Telrad view finder
  • More observable comets
  • Add spacecraft section
  • More detailed information on celestial objects
  • Add Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune rings
  • Add constellations outside Milky Way
  • Update cosmological data

In-app purchases

None

Orbitrack

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

The Sky Pro by Redshift

Subscriptions2
  • The Sky Ultimate 1 Month$1.991 Month
  • The Sky Ultimate 1 Year$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • The Sky Ultimate$22.99

Questions

Is Orbitrack free?
Orbitrack costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Sky Pro by Redshift free?
The Sky Pro by Redshift costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Orbitrack or The Sky Pro by Redshift?
The Sky Pro by Redshift is rated higher. Orbitrack averages 4.7 out of 5 from 962 ratings, while The Sky Pro by Redshift averages 4.8 from 335 ratings.
Do Orbitrack or The Sky Pro by Redshift have ads?
Neither Orbitrack nor The Sky Pro by Redshift shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Orbitrack or The Sky Pro by Redshift?
Orbitrack ships an update every 4 months, and The Sky Pro by Redshift every 2 months. Most recently, Orbitrack was updated on September 21, 2026 and The Sky Pro by Redshift on September 25, 2026.

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