Comparison

Starry Map vs Star Map Tracker

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • AR celestial identification
  • Constellation and star catalog
  • Satellite tracking and alerts
  • Meteor shower notifications
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

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/

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Starry Map4 screens
Star Map Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Starry Map versus Star Map Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarry MapStar Map Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (246 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews62.4% of reviews — better28.6% of reviews
Number of ratings246 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size102 MB107 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperにゃんこソフトウェアYuriy Kvasha

Customer experience

Starry Map

All ratings246 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral5.3%
Negative6.9%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive62.4%
Neutral6.4%
Negative31.2%

Star Map Tracker

Written reviews91 reviews
Positive28.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative57.1%

User reviews

Starry Map

From 246 App Store ratings

What 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 reviews

What 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)
Show 8 more
  • 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
Show 3 more
  • 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
Show 6 more
  • 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
Show 2 more
  • Display star sizes/visibility
  • Provide more detailed information on planets

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Starry Map

Subscriptions4
  • Unlock Features2 variants$0.991 Month
  • Unlock Features7 Days trial2 variants$0.991 Month
  • Unlock Features$3.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Unlock Features7 Days trial$3.991 Year
One-time1
  • Unlock Features (Lifetime)$9.99
3 purchases

Star Map Tracker

One-time3
  • Stars & Constellations$1.99
  • Planets$1.99
  • Premium$2.99

Questions

Is Starry Map free?
Starry Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Star Map Tracker free?
Star Map Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Starry Map or Star Map Tracker have ads?
Starry Map shows ads; Star Map Tracker does not.
Which is updated more often, Starry Map or Star Map Tracker?
Starry Map ships an update every 2 weeks, and Star Map Tracker every 5 months. Most recently, Starry Map was updated on October 17, 2026 and Star Map Tracker on October 10, 2026.

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