# Astrospheric vs ARTstronomy Planner

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ARTstronomy Planner at none against Astrospheric's 2. ARTstronomy Planner also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Astrospheric's advantage is ratings volume (453 vs 2) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Astrospheric sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. ARTstronomy Planner asks for nothing beyond the download.

ARTstronomy Planner 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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Astrospheric ships an update every 3 weeks, ARTstronomy Planner every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Astrospheric | ARTstronomy Planner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (453 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astrospheric/id1166046863/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artstronomy-planner/id6789792967/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **453** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 87.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#62** | — |
| Size | 47 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Fiordalis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1166046862) | [NOAH HAMILTON RASHKIND](https://appshunter.io/developer/6789599467) |

## 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


### ARTstronomy Planner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artstronomy-planner/id6789792967)

This app provides a clear GO/MAYBE/NO GO verdict for stargazing and astrophotography based on detailed weather and sky conditions. It offers smart forecasts tuned to your specific shooting needs, including cloud cover, moon brightness, and seeing.

**Highlights:** Smart GO/MAYBE/NO GO verdicts, Session-tuned forecasts, Hourly Sky Timeline, Live moon phase tracking, ISS pass tracking, Narrowband-aware scoring, Drive-out comparison

**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 ARTstronomy Planner free?

ARTstronomy Planner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

ARTstronomy Planner is rated higher. Astrospheric averages 4.8 out of 5 from 453 ratings, while ARTstronomy Planner averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Astrospheric or ARTstronomy Planner have ads?

Neither Astrospheric nor ARTstronomy Planner shows ads.

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

Astrospheric ships an update every 3 weeks, and ARTstronomy Planner every 2 months. Most recently, Astrospheric was updated on October 14, 2026 and ARTstronomy Planner on October 12, 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.*