Comparison

Astrospheric vs Good To Stargaze

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

Head to head
About

Astrospheric

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
Read full description

Astrospheric provides advanced weather tools for professional astronomers and astrophotographers, and supports hundreds of astronomical societies with tools that help members stay connected. Are you using what the pros use? Features • 84 hour, hour-by-hour forecast • Free notification reminders for major astronomical events, customized for your location • Ensemble cloud forecast lets you quickly compare the major forecast models with hourly updates (Astrospheric Pro) • Extended cloud forecast • Kp index for Aurora viewing (and alerts with Pro) • International Space Station (ISS) flyover paths and times • Astrospheric is the only astronomy service that integrates the smoke forecast into the transparency report • Sky data: cloud, sky transparency, seeing • Ground data: wind, temperature, and humidity • Precise rise and set times for both the sun and moon • Get weather alerts when conditions meeting your requirements are met (Astrospheric Pro) • Details Solar and Lunar eclipse data Astronomical Societies • Stay connected with chat, image sharing, and event planning with all of your members. • Qualifying astronomical societies can get Pro features for all of their members Site Mode • Information necessary to quickly set up your GOTO tracking mount • Available even if you don’t have a network connection Astrospheric Professional is now available to enable Weather Alerts, Ensemble cloud forecast, and more! • Astrospheric Professional is billed monthly or yearly and will auto-renew unless turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current subscription period. The renewal cost will be the same as the initial sign-up cost of the subscription. Any changes in cost will be communicated before renewal takes place. • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscriptions may be managed by you and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the your Account Settings after purchase. A link to these settings is made available within Astrospheric "My Profile" for easy access. • The terms of use and privacy policy may be found at https://www.astrospheric.com/privacypolicy.php, purchasing a subscription shows agreement to these terms. PLEASE NOTE: Weather data is not available for Hawaii due to the domain area covered by the Canadian Meteorological Center. However, satellite and light pollution map layers, as well as other features will work in Hawaii. More information on Astrospherics forecast domain can be found here: https://www.astrospheric.com/dynamiccontent/datadomain.html

About

Good To Stargaze

This app provides a comprehensive tool to determine the best times for stargazing. It offers detailed forecasts for weather, seeing conditions, transparency, and light pollution. Ideal for both amateur and professional astronomers using any viewing equipment.

Highlights
  • Weather forecast
  • Seeing conditions
  • Transparency forecast
  • Light pollution data
  • Hourly forecasts
  • Long-term forecasts
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

When will it be good to stargaze? See the weather forecast, seeing, transparency, and light pollution, all in one convenient tool. Perfect for amateur and professional astronomers alike, for naked eye viewing, binoculars, or telescopes. Become a subscriber for 24-hour, 7-day, or 15-day hourly forecast and many other features. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period at the same price you originally paid. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Terms: https://www.goodtostargaze.com/terms

Screenshots

Astrospheric4 screens
Good To Stargaze4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Astrospheric at 87% against Good To Stargaze's 29%. Astrospheric also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). On price, ratings volume, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Astrospheric sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Good To Stargaze sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Astrospheric holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 487 and 226 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Astrospheric's written reviews are positive against 29% of Good To Stargaze's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Astrospheric ships an update every 2 weeks, Good To Stargaze every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Astrospheric versus Good To Stargaze: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAstrosphericGood To Stargaze
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (487 ratings) — better4.4 (226 ratings)
Positive reviews86.8% of reviews — better28.9% of reviews
Number of ratings487 — better226
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#94 — better#152
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaniel FiordalisMatthew LLOYD

Customer experience

Astrospheric

All ratings481 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral1.9%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews151 reviews
Positive86.8%
Neutral5.3%
Negative7.9%

Good To Stargaze

All ratings217 ratings
Positive83.4%
Neutral5.5%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive28.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative60.0%

User reviews

Astrospheric

From 487 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Good To Stargaze

From 226 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Accurate for planning viewing nights
  • 👍 Useful for astronomers
  • 👍 Good for finding right conditions
  • 👍 Reliable forecast
  • 👍 Clean, organized interface

Room to improve

  • 😞 Expensive subscription model
  • 😞 Pessimistic predictions
  • 😞 Free features removed
  • 😞 Unusable without payment
  • 😞 Inaccurate forecasts

Bugs and requests

Astrospheric

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashing or not loading on some devices
  • Inconsistent temperature and wind data

Requested features

4 requests
  • 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

Good To Stargaze

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • App is a buggy site wrapper
  • App not working for current location
  • App shows previous 24 hours, not upcoming
  • App shows rain when it's clear
  • App doesn't work or is SUPER slow to load after Apple update
Show 1 more
  • Light pollution map not up to date

Requested features

9 requests
  • Grandfathering in initial users
  • Unique payment option instead of subscription
  • More precise geolocation feature
  • Map key for chart colors
  • Include light pollution map
Show 4 more
  • Update light pollution map data
  • Widget for the app
  • Fix app for Apple update
  • Add moon phases back to condition page

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Astrospheric

Subscriptions2
  • Astrospheric Pro Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Astrospheric Pro Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
10 purchases

Good To Stargaze

Subscriptions10
  • Value Subscription - Weekly$0.497 Days
  • Value Subscription - Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Hobbyist Subscription - Weekly$1.997 Days
Show 7 more
  • Professional - Weekly$3.497 Days
  • Hobbyist - Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Professional - Monthly7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Value Subscription - Annual7 Days trial$6.991 Year
  • Elite Subscription - Monthly$13.991 Month
  • Hobbyist Subscription - Annual7 Days trial$25.991 Year
  • Professional - Annual7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Astrospheric free?
Astrospheric is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Good To Stargaze free?
Good To Stargaze is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Astrospheric or Good To Stargaze?
Astrospheric is rated higher. Astrospheric averages 4.8 out of 5 from 487 ratings, while Good To Stargaze averages 4.4 from 226 ratings.
Do Astrospheric or Good To Stargaze have ads?
Neither Astrospheric nor Good To Stargaze shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Astrospheric or Good To Stargaze?
Astrospheric ships an update every 2 weeks, and Good To Stargaze every 2 months. Most recently, Astrospheric was updated on November 11, 2026 and Good To Stargaze on November 6, 2026.
Which is more popular, Astrospheric or Good To Stargaze?
Astrospheric currently peaks at #94 in the App Store charts, and Good To Stargaze at #152. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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