# Starry Map vs Stellar Tour

The clearest difference is ads: Stellar Tour at none against Starry Map's shown. Stellar Tour also leads on review sentiment (84% vs 62%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Starry Map's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Starry Map sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Stellar Tour sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Stellar Tour holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stellar Tour has 1.7K ratings behind it against 246, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Starry Map's written reviews are positive against 84% of Stellar Tour's.

Starry Map ships an update every 2 weeks, Stellar Tour fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Starry Map | Stellar Tour |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (246 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starry-map/id1176591850/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stellar-tour/id1197929178/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 246 | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 62.4% of reviews | **83.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 102 MB | 570 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [にゃんこソフトウェア](https://appshunter.io/developer/1843663669) | [Aaron Day](https://appshunter.io/developer/1028872452) |

## What reviewers say

### Starry Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starry-map/id1176591850)

Identify stars, constellations, and satellites by pointing your phone at the night sky. Augmented reality overlays display celestial names in real-time. Receive notifications for upcoming satellite passes and meteor showers.

**Highlights:** AR celestial identification, Constellation and star catalog, Satellite tracking and alerts, Meteor shower notifications, Offline functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Features | $0.99 | per month |
| Unlock Features | $0.99 | per month |
| Unlock Features | $3.99 | per year |
| Unlock Features | $3.99 | per year |
| Unlock Features (Lifetime) | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and understand
- ✨ Beautiful and visually appealing interface
- 🔭 AR feature for real-time sky viewing
- 🛰️ Useful for tracking satellites (ISS, Starlink)
- 💡 Informative with links to Wikipedia

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Many features are paid/locked
- 💸 Increased monetization and paid features
- 📉 Some users feel it was better before monetization
- 🤔 Unclear how to use certain features
- 📱 Inconsistent performance across devices/OS versions

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch after updates
- Date/time setting resets to 1970
- Black screen upon opening the app
- Ads not disappearing even after purchase
- App closes when selecting specific objects (e.g., Comet Neowise)

**Requested features**

- Reflect weather and light pollution in star visibility
- Include stories/episodes related to constellations
- Separate 1st to 3rd magnitude stars in display options
- Simplify solar system display for beginners
- Option to hide background stars or make them less prominent


### Stellar Tour

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stellar-tour/id1197929178)

Explore the cosmos with an augmented reality stargazing app guided by an astrophysicist. Discover exoplanets, solar system bodies, and deep-sky objects with scientifically accurate narratives and detailed visuals.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality stargazing, Astrophysicist-guided tours, Detailed exoplanet information, High-resolution solar system visuals, Exploration of galaxies and nebulae, Interactive 3D planet and moon models

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade: Lessons & Sky Tools | $3.99 | one-time |
| Cosmic Expansion | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads 3 | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Amazing app
- 👍 Excellent for stargazing and learning
- 🔭 Helpful for identifying stars and constellations
- 🌌 Detailed information on planets and exoplanets
- 🎓 Great educational tool for all ages

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🤔 Some features not intuitive or user-friendly
- 💰 Wish it was completely free without in-app purchases
- 🌍 Language localization could be improved

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Videos not playing offline as expected

**Requested features**

- Add support for viewing comets and other celestial events
- Improve AR functionality and integration
- Provide more detailed information on exoplanets
- Introduce a dark mode option for better visibility at night


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Starry Map free?

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

### Is Stellar Tour free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Starry Map or Stellar Tour?

Stellar Tour is rated higher. Starry Map averages 4.5 out of 5 from 246 ratings, while Stellar Tour averages 4.7 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Starry Map or Stellar Tour have ads?

Starry Map shows ads; Stellar Tour does not.

### Which is updated more often, Starry Map or Stellar Tour?

Starry Map ships an update every 2 weeks, and Stellar Tour fortnightly. Most recently, Starry Map was updated on October 13, 2026 and Stellar Tour on October 8, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*