# Astrospheric vs Light Pollution Map

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Astrospheric at 88% against Light Pollution Map's 14%. Astrospheric also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and chart position (#52 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Astrospheric sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Light Pollution Map sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Astrospheric holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 453 and 239 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Astrospheric's written reviews are positive against 14% of Light Pollution Map's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Astrospheric | Light Pollution Map |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (453 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astrospheric/id1166046863/reviews)** | [4.5 (239 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-pollution-map-dark-sky/id1200379779/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **453** | 239 |
| Positive reviews | **87.7% of reviews** | 14.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#52** | — |
| Size | 47 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Fiordalis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1166046862) | [Dunbar Technology, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1200379778) |

## What reviewers say

### Astrospheric

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astrospheric/id1166046863)

**Currently charting:** #52 Top Grossing · Weather, #171 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

This app offers advanced weather forecasting and astronomical data for stargazers and astrophotographers. It provides detailed hourly forecasts, cloud and sky transparency reports, and alerts for celestial events. It also includes tools for astronomical societies and offline site setup.

**Highlights:** 84-hour hourly weather forecast, Ensemble cloud forecast, Kp index for Aurora, ISS flyover paths, Integrated smoke forecast, Sky and ground data, Rise and set times, Solar and Lunar eclipse data

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Astrospheric Pro Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Astrospheric Pro Subscription | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Precision tool for astrophotography
- 🔍 Detailed weather forecasts
- ⭐ Accurate and reliable
- 💻 Comprehensive data and features
- 📊 Helpful for planning observing sessions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional inaccurate forecasts
- 🔍 Missing some weather data (e.g. wind)
- 💰 Subscription required for full functionality
- 🔌 Compatibility issues on some devices

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing or not loading on some devices
- Inconsistent temperature and wind data

**Requested features**

- Notification system for clear skies
- Widgets for quick access to data
- More detailed transparency and seeing data
- Ability to flip east and west in the app


### Light Pollution Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-pollution-map-dark-sky/id1200379779)

Discover optimal locations for stargazing and astrophotography with a detailed light pollution map. Get real-time alerts for celestial events like meteor showers and auroras, track the ISS, and access daily astronomy photos. Enhance your night sky observations with comprehensive tools and information.

**Highlights:** Interactive light pollution map, Aurora borealis live map and alerts, Meteor shower and super moon alerts, ISS tracker with live updates, Moon phases and information, Astronomy photo of the day

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Version | $9.99 | per year |
| Pro Version | $14.99 | per year |
| Pro Version | $19.99 | per year |
| Pro Version | $29.99 | per year |
| Pro Version Upgrade Discounted | $8.99 | one-time |
| Pro Version Upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clear detailed satellite views
- 🚀 Works with barely any signal
- 📊 Useful map with latest data
- 🌌 Helps with astrophotography

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes on opening the map
- 🐛 Crashes after locating user's position
- 🔍 No legend for map colors
- 💰 Tries to get users to upgrade to premium

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening light pollution map
- App crashes after locating user's position
- Cloud coverage feature not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add Bortle rating information
- Improve cloud coverage feature
- Fix crashing issues


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Astrospheric free?

Astrospheric is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Light Pollution Map free?

Light Pollution Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Astrospheric or Light Pollution Map?

Astrospheric is rated higher. Astrospheric averages 4.8 out of 5 from 453 ratings, while Light Pollution Map averages 4.5 from 239 ratings.

### Do Astrospheric or Light Pollution Map have ads?

Neither Astrospheric nor Light Pollution Map shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Astrospheric or Light Pollution Map?

Astrospheric ships an update every 3 weeks, and Light Pollution Map every 3 weeks. Most recently, Astrospheric was updated on October 14, 2026 and Light Pollution Map on October 16, 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.*