# Astrospheric vs Sky Planner

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Astrospheric at 481 against Sky Planner's 4. Astrospheric also leads on chart position (#63 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). Sky Planner's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 87%). On price, rating, 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 Sky Planner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Astrospheric against 4.8 for Sky Planner. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Astrospheric has 481 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Astrospheric's written reviews are positive against 100% of Sky Planner's.

Astrospheric ships an update every 3 weeks, Sky Planner every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Astrospheric | Sky Planner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (481 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astrospheric/id1166046863/reviews) | [4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-planner-darkscout/id6760223860/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **481** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 87.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#63** | — |
| Size | 39 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Fiordalis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1166046862) | [Sebastian Mraz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883345914) |

## What reviewers say

### Astrospheric

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

**Currently charting:** #63 Top Grossing · Weather, #149 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


### Sky Planner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-planner-darkscout/id6760223860)

Plan your astrophotography sessions with real-time sky quality forecasts and astronomy signals. Compare observing spots and find the best windows for capturing the night sky.

**Highlights:** Sky quality tracking, Observing spot comparison, Best observing window identification, Milky Way visibility and direction, Offline forecast fallback, Home screen widget

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly PRO | $2.49 | per month |
| Yearly PRO | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Astrospheric free?

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

### Is Sky Planner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Astrospheric or Sky Planner?

Astrospheric and Sky Planner are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 481 and 4 ratings respectively.

### Do Astrospheric or Sky Planner have ads?

Neither Astrospheric nor Sky Planner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Astrospheric or Sky Planner?

Astrospheric ships an update every 3 weeks, and Sky Planner every 2 weeks. Most recently, Astrospheric was updated on October 19, 2026 and Sky Planner on October 14, 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.*