# Light Pollution Map vs GoldenHour

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Light Pollution Map | GoldenHour |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (251 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-pollution-map-dark-sky/id1200379779/reviews)** | [4.2 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goldenhour-sun-tracker/id6755689721/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **251** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | 14.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 93 MB | 111 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dunbar Technology, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1200379778) | [Koren Salav](https://appshunter.io/developer/1855580888) |

## What reviewers say

### Light Pollution Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-pollution-map-dark-sky/id1200379779)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Version | $9.99 | per year |
| Pro Version | $14.99 | per year |
| Pro Version | $19.99 | per year |
| Pro Version | $29.99 | per year |
| Pro Version Upgrade Discounted | $8.99 | one-time |
| Pro Version Upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clear detailed satellite views
- 🚀 Works with barely any signal
- 📊 Useful map with latest data
- 🌌 Helps with astrophotography

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes on opening the map
- 🐛 Crashes after locating user's position
- 🔍 No legend for map colors
- 💰 Tries to get users to upgrade to premium

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Add Bortle rating information
- Improve cloud coverage feature
- Fix crashing issues


### GoldenHour

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goldenhour-sun-tracker/id6755689721)

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:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GoldenHour Plus Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| GoldenHour Plus Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| GoldenHour Plus Yearly WinBack | $14.99 | per year |
| GoldenHour Plus Lifetime | $34.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*