# Astrospheric vs Noctis

The clearest difference is rating: Astrospheric at 4.8 against Noctis's 2.5. Astrospheric also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 50%) and ratings volume (453 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Astrospheric holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Astrospheric has 453 ratings behind it against 2, 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 50% of Noctis's.

Astrospheric ships an update every 3 weeks, Noctis every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Astrospheric | Noctis |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (453 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astrospheric/id1166046863/reviews)** | [2.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noctis-light-pollution-map/id6780199923/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **453** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **87.7% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#64** | — |
| Size | 47 MB | 88 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.1** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Fiordalis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1166046862) | [Ahmet Giray Ucar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1583246836) |

## What reviewers say

### Astrospheric

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

**Currently charting:** #64 Top Grossing · Weather, #141 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


### Noctis

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noctis-light-pollution-map/id6780199923)

This app provides a comprehensive score for stargazing conditions by combining light pollution data, weather forecasts, and moon phases. It helps users plan optimal times and locations for astrophotography and observing dark skies.

**Highlights:** Milky Way Score for shooting conditions, Light-pollution map with Bortle class, Real-time dark window countdown, Moon phase and rise/set times, 7-night planning, Best shooting hours calculation

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Noctis+ Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Noctis+ Yearly | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Astrospheric free?

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

### Is Noctis free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Astrospheric or Noctis?

Astrospheric is rated higher. Astrospheric averages 4.8 out of 5 from 453 ratings, while Noctis averages 2.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Astrospheric or Noctis have ads?

Neither Astrospheric nor Noctis shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Astrospheric or Noctis?

Astrospheric ships an update every 3 weeks, and Noctis every 2 weeks. Most recently, Astrospheric was updated on October 14, 2026 and Noctis on October 7, 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.*