Classic Sky Map 2 vs ISS Tracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Classic Sky Map 2
Explore the cosmos with an intuitive and beautiful sky map. Easily identify stars, planets, and constellations by simply pointing your device at the sky. Track celestial events and understand astronomical movements with time-lapse features.
- Live sky tracking
- Interactive earth map
- Time-lapse sky simulation
- Beautiful constellation art
- Celestial object search
- Night vision mode
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Ever wonder why so many astronomy apps are so hard to use? We do. So we made Classic Sky Map simple and intuitive enough for anyone to enjoy. The user interface is beautiful and straightforward, the controls are easy to use and most settings are just a tap or two away. Classic Sky Map shows you thousands of the brightest stars, the Moon, planets, constellations, meteor showers and more. And it's painless. Free Features: - Live Tracking. Simply point your device toward the stars and the sky map aligns itself automatically, showing you the portion of the sky at which you are looking. If your device has a compass, Classic Sky Map uses it automatically. If not, you can tell Classic Sky Map where the North is, and it aligns the sky map accordingly. - Live Earth Map. Quickly jump from one city to another by tapping on a map that shows the Earth's day and night boundary in real-time. If you allow it, Classic Sky Map can detect your current location automatically. You can also create custom viewing locations in seconds. - Fast Forward and Rewind. Accelerate or reverse time to understand how stars and planets appear to move in the sky over a longer period of time. - Beautiful Constellation Images. We put a tremendous amount of work into creating beautiful constellation images inspired by antique engravings and aligning them precisely with the stars. - Sharing. Share snapshots of the sky map with your friends at the tap of a button. - Quick Help. Should you have any questions while using Classic Sky Map, a concise, illustrated user guide will help answer them quickly. Full Version Features (In-App Purchase): - Interactive Search. Simply type in a search field, pick an object from a list of matches, then point your device toward the sky. An arrow appears and guides you until you are pointing your device toward the object you selected. If the object is not yet visible in the sky, its next rise time is displayed. - Sky Events. Classic Sky Map shows a list of current sky events such as meteor showers, eclipses and more and helps you quickly locate them in the sky. - Night Vision. Classic Sky Map's night vision mode helps minimize loss of dark adaptation. And we went the extra mile to make it look great in cyan, orange or red. - Extra Information. Tooltips and an information panel show details about stars, planets, the Moon, meteor showers and more. - Personalization Options. Personalize your sky map by turning various guides and display options on or off. Have fun!
ISS Tracker
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Follow the International Space Station in real time and plan your next chance to see it overhead. ISS Tracker brings live orbital data, visible-pass forecasts, crew information, and space-station live streams into one focused app. TRACK THE STATION • View the station’s current position on an interactive map • Follow its orbit path and direction of travel • See live altitude, velocity, coordinates, and sunlight status PLAN VISIBLE PASSES • Find upcoming passes using your location • Understand where each pass begins and ends with Sky Path diagrams • Check start time, duration, direction, and expected visibility • Schedule notifications or add passes to your calendar MEET THE CREW • Explore the current expedition and astronauts in orbit • Read biographies, mission roles, and launch details • Open available official and reference links WATCH LIVE Open available space-station live streams and watch Earth from orbit when feeds are active. MAKE IT YOURS Choose light or dark theme, select your preferred map style, and adjust pass-alert and visibility settings. No account or sign-in is required. ISS Tracker is supported by advertising. An optional one-time in-app purchase permanently removes ads; it is not a subscription. Location access is optional and is used to provide location-based pass predictions and alerts. Notification and calendar access are requested only when you use those features. ISS Tracker is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by NASA, the International Space Station program, or any space agency. Orbital and visibility information is provided for informational purposes and may vary.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Classic Sky Map 2 at none against ISS Tracker's shown. ISS Tracker's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 16 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Classic Sky Map 2 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ISS Tracker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Classic Sky Map 2 ships an update every 16 months, ISS Tracker every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Classic Sky Map 2 | ISS Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (9.8K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 75.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 9.8K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 58 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | X04 Studios Inc. | Kiarash Torkian |
Bugs and requests
Classic Sky Map 2
Reported bugs
3 issues- Compass bearing is inaccurate
- Active tracking no longer works
- App becomes unusable after certain updates
Requested features
4 requests- Add information on comets, meteor showers, and other space events
- Provide an option to only show visible stars
- Improve search functionality to find planets, moons, and other objects not currently in the sky
- Offer a live tracking mode that updates in real-time
ISS Tracker
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Classic Sky Map 2
- Full Version$2.99
ISS Tracker
- Remove Ads Permanently$9.99
Questions
Is Classic Sky Map 2 free?
Is ISS Tracker free?
Do Classic Sky Map 2 or ISS Tracker have ads?
Which is updated more often, Classic Sky Map 2 or ISS Tracker?
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