# Starry Map vs Star Map

The clearest difference is rating: Starry Map at 4.5 against Star Map's 2.2. Starry Map also leads on review sentiment (62% vs 20%) and ratings volume (246 vs 6). Star Map's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Starry Map sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Star Map asks for nothing beyond the download.

Starry Map holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Starry Map has 246 ratings behind it against 6, 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 20% of Star Map's.

Starry Map ships an update every 2 weeks, Star Map every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Starry Map | Star Map |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (246 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starry-map/id1176591850/reviews)** | [2.2 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-map-explore-the-sky/id1431654092/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **246** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **62.4% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 102 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [にゃんこソフトウェア](https://appshunter.io/developer/1843663669) | [广东单词世界科教有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1807328987) |

## 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


### Star Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-map-explore-the-sky/id1431654092)

Explore the night sky with this stargazing app. Point your device to the sky to identify thousands of stars, planets, constellations, and more. It uses your device's sensors and GPS to provide an accurate celestial view.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality sky view, Identify stars, planets, and constellations, Uses device sensors and GPS, Explore thousands of celestial objects, Track ISS and satellites

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Starry Map free?

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

### Is Star Map free?

Star Map is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Starry Map or Star Map?

Starry Map is rated higher. Starry Map averages 4.5 out of 5 from 246 ratings, while Star Map averages 2.2 from 6 ratings.

### Do Starry Map or Star Map have ads?

Starry Map shows ads; Star Map does not.

### Which is updated more often, Starry Map or Star Map?

Starry Map ships an update every 2 weeks, and Star Map every 3 days. Most recently, Starry Map was updated on October 13, 2026 and Star Map on September 18, 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.*