# Starry Map vs StarScope

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: StarScope at none against Starry Map's 7. StarScope also leads on ads (none vs shown). On update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Starry Map ships an update every 2 weeks, StarScope every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Starry Map | StarScope |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | — |
| Rating | **[4.5 (246 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starry-map/id1176591850/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **246** | — |
| Positive reviews | 62.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 102 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| 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) | [Su YI-HUNG](https://appshunter.io/developer/6771587681) |

## 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


### StarScope

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starscope/id6771587679)

**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 StarScope free?

Pricing for StarScope is not currently listed on the App Store.

### Do Starry Map or StarScope have ads?

Starry Map shows ads; StarScope does not.

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

Starry Map ships an update every 2 weeks, and StarScope every 8 days. Most recently, Starry Map was updated on October 17, 2026 and StarScope on October 7, 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.*