# Astrospheric vs Ambient Almanac

The clearest difference is price: Astrospheric at Free against Ambient Almanac's $3.99. Astrospheric also leads on ratings volume (453 vs 3) and chart position (#62 vs unranked). Ambient Almanac's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Ambient Almanac holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Astrospheric has 453 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Astrospheric's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ambient Almanac'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 | Ambient Almanac |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (453 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astrospheric/id1166046863/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ambient-almanac/id6758457738/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **453** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 87.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#62** | — |
| Size | 47 MB | 126 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.1** | 17.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Fiordalis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1166046862) | [Tomato Laboratories](https://appshunter.io/developer/1873019072) |

## What reviewers say

### Astrospheric

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

**Currently charting:** #62 Top Grossing · Weather, #116 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


### Ambient Almanac

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ambient-almanac/id6758457738)

Experience atmospheric moodscapes that dynamically shift with real-time weather, time, and location. Discover seasonal gardening tips, local foraging information, and historical weather proverbs. Enjoy gentle nature sounds and a human-crafted design with no ads or tracking.

**Highlights:** Live weather visualization, Seasonal gardening guidance, Location-based foraging, Historical weather proverbs, Real-time forecast dashboard, Moon phases and calendar, Nature soundscapes

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Astrospheric free?

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

### Is Ambient Almanac free?

Ambient Almanac costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Astrospheric or Ambient Almanac?

Ambient Almanac is rated higher. Astrospheric averages 4.8 out of 5 from 453 ratings, while Ambient Almanac averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Astrospheric or Ambient Almanac have ads?

Neither Astrospheric nor Ambient Almanac shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Astrospheric or Ambient Almanac?

Astrospheric ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ambient Almanac every 3 weeks. Most recently, Astrospheric was updated on October 14, 2026 and Ambient Almanac 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.*