Comparison

Astrospheric vs Solar Weather

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

Solar Weather

Track real-time solar activity and get accurate space weather forecasts. View detailed Sun animations, aurora predictions, and receive push notifications for significant space events. Data is sourced from NOAA and NASA for enthusiasts and the curious.

Highlights
  • Live UV solar animations
  • Coronagraph views
  • Aurora map and forecast
  • Kp index and solar wind data
  • Push notifications for space events
  • Detailed Sun exploration
  • Home and Lock Screen widgets
Read full description

Track real-time solar activity and get accurate space weather forecasts with Solar Weather. From Sun animations to aurora predictions — professional observatory data, designed to be easy to read and use. What's happening on the Sun right now? - Live UV solar animations across 7 wavelengths — from surface details to violent flare regions - Coronagraph views: GOES-19 (CCOR-1), LASCO C2 and C3 — watch coronal mass ejections unfold from different distances - Swipe through 24-hour solar animations almost minute by minute — full manual control over Sun, Aurora, and Coronagraph views - Export any animation as a shareable video Will there be an aurora tonight? - Aurora map showing real-time intensity and coverage for both hemispheres - 1-hour aurora visibility forecast based on current solar activity - Kp index: 3-day forecast, 1-week history, and a combined real-time graph - Solar Wind Speed, Magnetic Field Bt & Bz — the key indicators that trigger geomagnetic storms - When Bz goes negative, aurora chances spike — and the app helps you spot it Never miss a space weather event: - Push notifications for Geomagnetic storms, Solar Radiation storms, and Radio Blackouts - Set your own alert thresholds — only get notified for the storm levels that matter to you - Geomagnetic and Radiation storm forecasts up to 3 days ahead - Daily solar activity index (10.7 cm Radio Flux) - Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets with real-time data Explore the Sun in detail: - Hot Flares: the most intense solar eruptions captured in extreme ultraviolet - Solar Corona: the Sun's outer atmosphere — millions of degrees hot, rarely seen up close - Active Regions: areas of powerful magnetic activity where flares and CMEs originate - Transition Zone: the dynamic boundary between the chromosphere and corona - Chromosphere: the Sun's colorful middle layer, visible during eclipses - Surface: sunspots, granulation, and intricate magnetic patterns Built for space enthusiasts, amateur astronomers, and anyone curious about the Sun. Solar Weather pulls data directly from NOAA and NASA to give you an accurate, up-to-date picture of solar activity and its impact on Earth.

Screenshots

Astrospheric4 screens
Solar Weather4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Astrospheric at Free against Solar Weather's $3.99. Astrospheric also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (484 vs 28). Solar Weather's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Astrospheric is free to download; Solar Weather costs $3.99 up front. Astrospheric sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Solar Weather asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Astrospheric holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Astrospheric has 484 ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Astrospheric's written reviews are positive against 80% of Solar Weather's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Astrospheric ships an update every 2 weeks, Solar Weather monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Astrospheric versus Solar Weather: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAstrosphericSolar Weather
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating4.8 (484 ratings) — better4.4 (28 ratings)
Positive reviews86.8% of reviews — better80.0% of reviews
Number of ratings484 — better28
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium — betterPaid
Best chart rank#86 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaniel FiordalisAleksandr Balyberdin

Customer experience

Astrospheric

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

Solar Weather

All ratings27 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

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

Solar Weather

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Astrospheric

Subscriptions2
  • Astrospheric Pro Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Astrospheric Pro Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
None

Solar Weather

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Astrospheric free?
Astrospheric is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Solar Weather free?
Solar Weather costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Astrospheric or Solar Weather?
Astrospheric is rated higher. Astrospheric averages 4.8 out of 5 from 484 ratings, while Solar Weather averages 4.4 from 28 ratings.
Do Astrospheric or Solar Weather have ads?
Neither Astrospheric nor Solar Weather shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Astrospheric or Solar Weather?
Astrospheric ships an update every 2 weeks, and Solar Weather monthly. Most recently, Astrospheric was updated on November 6, 2026 and Solar Weather on November 4, 2026.

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