Comparison

Light Pollution Map vs GoldenHour

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

Head to head
About

Light Pollution Map

Discover optimal locations for stargazing and astrophotography with a detailed light pollution map. Get real-time alerts for celestial events like meteor showers and auroras, track the ISS, and access daily astronomy photos. Enhance your night sky observations with comprehensive tools and information.

Highlights
  • Interactive light pollution map
  • Aurora borealis live map and alerts
  • Meteor shower and super moon alerts
  • ISS tracker with live updates
  • Moon phases and information
  • Astronomy photo of the day
Features
Read full description

Light Pollution Map allows you to easily locate dark sky locations where the sky will not be affected by light pollution, allowing the best observance, star gazing, and photography of the night sky! But it's not just a light pollution map. There's so much more, such as aurora borealis live viewing map, meteor shower alerts, super moon alerts, lunar eclipse alerts, moon phases and info, aurora and magnetic field information, international space station tracker, and a lot more! Light Pollution Map will help you master the night sky.. List of all features: • Highly accurate, customizable and interactive light pollution map to find dark sky viewing locations near you. • See live aurora borealis information such as KP value, magnetic field information, and more for the hardcore aurora chaser. • Live aurora borealis visibility map for northern and southern hemisphere, with additional timelapse options. • Aurora information widgets (today widget). • ISS Tracker with live updates about the international space station including the location, visibility, velocity, altitude, and more. • Night sky event calendar allows you to find dates for lunar eclipses, super moons, and meteor showers. • Live images of the Sun via NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. • Darkness countdown timer until the darkest period of night so you know when the night sky will be the darkest. Also let you know when it starts getting light outside. • Astronomy photo of the day directly from NASA! A new one every day to look at! • Local temperature indicator to know if you need to bring a sweater before you even step outside. • Local cloud coverage indicator to know if you will be able to see anything before you step outside. • Cloud cover overlay on the main map to find clear sky locations at night. • Settings to customize the app. • Moon information such as moon phase, moon rise, and moon set times, days of next full moon and new moon, etc. • Moon direction tool which allows you to find where the moon will be, at any time, any date, for any location. • Enable a horizon safe radius circle to avoid light pollution from nearby cities on the map. • Local Aurora Borealis (Northern/Southern Lights) alerts and push notifications. • Global Aurora Borealis Activity alerts and push notifications. • Meteor shower alerts and push notifications. • Super moon alerts and push notifications. • Lunar eclipse alerts and push notifications. • Save and load your favorite dark sky locations. • Navigate to your saved locations using the Apple Maps app. Some features above require an optional in-app purchase to upgrade to the pro version. Every purchase helps us to continue running and developing the app and is much appreciated. Note: Light Pollution Map loads data online. Internet connection or wifi is required, and we are not responsible for any data usage chargers from your provider. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

GoldenHour

This app helps photographers and outdoor enthusiasts find the best light for capturing sunrise, sunset, golden hour, and blue hour. It provides precise timing, sky quality forecasts, and planning tools to ensure you never miss the perfect moment.

Highlights
  • Sunrise & sunset timing
  • Golden hour & blue hour prediction
  • Sky quality forecast
  • Location-based planning
  • AR sun path visualization
  • Customizable alerts
  • Home & Lock Screen widgets
Features
Read full description

The best light of the day lasts minutes. GoldenHour makes sure you're there for it. GoldenHour is your daily sun companion - built for photographers, creators, travelers, and anyone who wants to catch sunrise, sunset, golden hour, and blue hour at the perfect moment. Get precise times for your location, a smart sky-quality forecast, and the advanced tools to plan around the light before it fades. WHY GOLDENHOUR Know the Peaks: Track exactly when the light is best - sunrise, sunset, golden hour, and blue hour. Sky Quality Forecast: Instantly see if today's sky is worth stepping outside for. Smart Reminders: Get notified before the magic happens, not after it's gone. Plan Anywhere: Scope out locations worldwide, save favorite spots, and plan from wherever you are. PLAN AROUND THE LIGHT Solar Timeline: A beautiful, dynamic day timeline with key solar milestones. Predictive Forecasts: Hyper-accurate sunset and sunrise quality scores. Sun Direction Map: See exactly where the sun will rise and set on a map. Building Shadow Map: Watch light and shade move across real streets and buildings, then pick your spot before you shoot. Visible Sunset Times: See when nearby hills hide the sun from your spot - not only the official time on the clock. AR Sun Path: Hold up your phone to see the sun's exact trajectory in Augmented Reality. Multi-Day Planning: Find the absolute best morning or evening for shooting this week. NEVER MISS THE MOMENT Custom Alerts: Tailored notifications before sunset or your favorite light phase. Routine Alarms: Sunrise and sunset alarms designed to fit your daily routine. Ask Siri: Check sunset time, sky quality, and how long you have - without opening the app. Premium Widgets: Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Control Center with live sun tracking. Live Activities: Real-time countdowns on Lock Screen and Dynamic Island for upcoming golden hours. Apple Watch: Next light, timeline, and sky quality on your wrist. CAPTURE AND REMEMBER Personal Sky Gallery: Save your own sunset photos in a Journal, with a calendar and insights from your moments. Track Memories: Keep your best captures organized in one beautiful place, privately synced with iCloud. Share the Light: Export and share stunning, personalized sun cards with friends. BUILT FOR REAL LIFE Whether you're scouting a professional photo shoot, choosing the most scenic walk home, traveling to a brand-new city, or just stepping outside for five minutes of calm - GoldenHour gives you the timing, context, and perfect nudge you need. It's on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. Download GoldenHour today and make the most of every sunset. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://jet-fang-e75.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-392575725a2080f0a8a7ef270167c22e

Screenshots

Light Pollution Map4 screens
GoldenHour4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: GoldenHour at 100% against Light Pollution Map's 14%. GoldenHour also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks) and device support (5 vs 2). Light Pollution Map's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (251 vs 12). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Light Pollution Map sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and GoldenHour sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Light Pollution Map holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Light Pollution Map has 251 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 14% of Light Pollution Map's written reviews are positive against 100% of GoldenHour's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Light Pollution Map ships an update every 3 weeks, GoldenHour every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Light Pollution Map versus GoldenHour: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLight Pollution MapGoldenHour
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (251 ratings) — better4.2 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews14.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings251 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size93 MB111 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDunbar Technology, LLCKoren Salav

Customer experience

Light Pollution Map

All ratings239 ratings
Positive88.3%
Neutral1.7%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews425 reviews
Positive14.1%
Neutral7.5%
Negative78.4%

GoldenHour

All ratings12 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Light Pollution Map

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes when opening light pollution map
  • App crashes after locating user's position
  • Cloud coverage feature not working as expected

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add Bortle rating information
  • Improve cloud coverage feature
  • Fix crashing issues

GoldenHour

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Light Pollution Map

Subscriptions4
  • Pro Version$9.991 Year
  • Pro Version$14.991 Year
  • Pro Version$19.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Pro Version$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Pro Version Upgrade Discounted$8.99
  • Pro Version Upgrade$9.99
4 purchases

GoldenHour

Subscriptions3
  • GoldenHour Plus Monthly$3.991 Month
  • GoldenHour Plus Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • GoldenHour Plus Yearly WinBack1 Year trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • GoldenHour Plus Lifetime$34.99

Questions

Is Light Pollution Map free?
Light Pollution Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GoldenHour free?
GoldenHour is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Light Pollution Map or GoldenHour?
Light Pollution Map is rated higher. Light Pollution Map averages 4.5 out of 5 from 251 ratings, while GoldenHour averages 4.2 from 12 ratings.
Do Light Pollution Map or GoldenHour have ads?
Neither Light Pollution Map nor GoldenHour shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Light Pollution Map or GoldenHour?
Light Pollution Map ships an update every 3 weeks, and GoldenHour every 9 days. Most recently, Light Pollution Map was updated on November 2, 2026 and GoldenHour on November 5, 2026.

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