Starry Map vs Star Map Tracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Starry Map
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.
- AR celestial identification
- Constellation and star catalog
- Satellite tracking and alerts
- Meteor shower notifications
- Offline functionality
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Point your smartphone at the night sky to instantly identify constellations, stars, and satellites. AR overlays show celestial names on the live camera view, and you can swipe to explore any direction. Get alerts for visible ISS passes and meteor showers. Includes: ・88 constellations (with Hevelius illustrations) ・Solar system planets, dwarf planets, asteroids ・Stars up to magnitude 12 ・About 100 Messier objects (nebulae and clusters) ・Over 10,000 satellites ・More than 300 comets ・Meteor showers and asterisms (Summer/Winter Triangle, Big Dipper, etc.) ・Satellite pass alerts (ISS, Hubble) ・Meteor shower peak notifications Works offline (satellite data won't update). Terms of Service https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Star Map Tracker
Explore the night sky with this augmented reality stargazing app. Identify stars, constellations, planets, and galaxies in real-time. It provides detailed information and helps you locate celestial objects.
- Augmented reality celestial body view
- Identification of over 3,000 stars
- Depiction of 88 constellations
- Real-time celestial object tracking
- Solar system object identification
- Compass calibration
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Star Map Tracker is an impressive stargazing augmented reality app boasting a database of over 3,000 stars and constellations. This app not only provides guidance through the vast majority of known stars but also furnishes essential information such as right ascension, declination, azimuth, elevation, and more. Whether you aim to align your telescope or simply desire to point your device at the sky for star, constellation, nebula, galaxy, and solar system object identification, this app caters to your needs, functioning as a proficient star finder and augmented reality map of celestial bodies, offering real-time information about them. Immerse yourself in a captivating night stars safari by finding an open space, taking a stroll, and lifting your device to behold the mesmerizing night sky view. The Star Map app serves as an exceptional tracker for all celestial objects, essentially placing a sky object seeker right in your pocket. Key Features: - Augmented reality view of celestial bodies - 88 constellations depicted with their shapes - Over 3,000 actual stars accompanied by detailed descriptions - Ability to search by star/constellation name, HD, HR, HIP - Real-time position of stars/constellations in the sky - Inclusion of the entire solar system (consisting of 9 planets, Sun, and Moon) - Realistic lighting, shadows, and planet textures - Milky Way galaxy background enriched with precise spatial positioning - Compass calibration facilitated using the moon, sun, or cardinal points In-App Purchase: - Enhanced access to names and information of over 3,000 stars (by default, only star information for zodiac constellations is available) - Expanded access to 74 constellations (only 14 are available by default: 12 Zodiac constellations, Ursa Minor, and Ursa Major) - Detailed inclusions of the solar system (encompassing 9 planets; Moon and Sun are available by default)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Star Map Tracker at none against Starry Map's shown. Star Map Tracker also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). Starry Map's advantage is review sentiment (62% vs 29%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Starry Map sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Star Map Tracker sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Starry Map ships an update every 2 weeks, Star Map Tracker every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Starry Map | Star Map Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (246 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 62.4% of reviews — better | 28.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 246 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 102 MB | 107 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | にゃんこソフトウェア | Yuriy Kvasha |
Customer experience
Starry Map
Star Map Tracker
User reviews
Starry Map
From 246 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 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
Room to improve
- 💰 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
Star Map Tracker
From App Store reviewsWhat we love
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- ✨ Visually appealing design
- 🌟 Shows constellations
- 🔭 Useful for beginners
- 💡 VR feature is good
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inaccurate star/planet positions
- 🧭 Compass calibration issues
- 💰 Many features locked behind paywall
- 💸 Not worth the premium cost
- 🚫 Free version is too limited
Bugs and requests
Starry Map
Reported bugs
13 issues- 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)
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- Location accuracy issues
- App closes after update
- App not working on older iOS versions
- Data connection not allowed error
- AR view constantly spinning
- ISS and Starlink not displaying after update
- App crashes when switching night mode
- App crashes when selecting NEOWISE comet
Requested features
8 requests- 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
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- Add comet Atlas to the catalog
- More user-friendly tutorials on usage
- Search functionality for star names
Star Map Tracker
Reported bugs
11 issues- Map is disoriented
- Stars and planets do not track movement
- Calibration does not stick
- App freezes
- App always points north
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- Compass is off by degrees
- Stars constantly shifting
- App shows incorrect directions
- GPS is way off
- App doesn't work on iPhone X
- AR is useless as camera can't see stars
Requested features
7 requests- Add search functionality for stars
- Include planets in the free version
- Improve compass synchronization
- Add language options
- Show horizon line
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- Display star sizes/visibility
- Provide more detailed information on planets
In-app purchases
Starry Map
- Unlock Features2 variants$0.991 Month
- Unlock Features7 Days trial2 variants$0.991 Month
- Unlock Features$3.991 Year
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- Unlock Features7 Days trial$3.991 Year
- Unlock Features (Lifetime)$9.99
Star Map Tracker
- Stars & Constellations$1.99
- Planets$1.99
- Premium$2.99
Questions
Is Starry Map free?
Is Star Map Tracker free?
Do Starry Map or Star Map Tracker have ads?
Which is updated more often, Starry Map or Star Map Tracker?
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