# Light Pollution Map vs Sky Planner

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sky Planner at 100% against Light Pollution Map's 14%. Sky Planner also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Light Pollution Map's advantage is ratings volume (262 vs 4) and chart position (#153 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Light Pollution Map sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Sky Planner asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sky Planner holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Light Pollution Map has 262 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of Light Pollution Map's written reviews are positive against 100% of Sky Planner's.

Light Pollution Map ships an update every 3 weeks, Sky Planner every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Light Pollution Map | Sky Planner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (262 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-pollution-map-dark-sky/id1200379779/reviews) | **[4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-planner-darkscout/id6760223860/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **262** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 14.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#153** | — |
| Size | 93 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dunbar Technology, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1200379778) | [Sebastian Mraz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883345914) |

## What reviewers say

### Light Pollution Map

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

**Currently charting:** #153 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

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


### Sky Planner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-planner-darkscout/id6760223860)

This app helps you plan stargazing and astrophotography sessions by providing cloud cover, Moon conditions, and observing target information. It offers forecasts up to 14 nights ahead and includes features for meteor showers and observing challenges.

**Highlights:** Cloud cover and Moon condition forecasts, Observing target catalog, Meteor shower field guides, Observing challenges, 72-hour cloud-cover map, Horizon profiles, Astrophoto sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Light Pollution Map free?

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

### Is Sky Planner free?

Sky Planner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Light Pollution Map or Sky Planner?

Sky Planner is rated higher. Light Pollution Map averages 4.5 out of 5 from 262 ratings, while Sky Planner averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do Light Pollution Map or Sky Planner have ads?

Neither Light Pollution Map nor Sky Planner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Light Pollution Map or Sky Planner?

Light Pollution Map ships an update every 3 weeks, and Sky Planner every 10 days. Most recently, Light Pollution Map was updated on November 6, 2026 and Sky Planner 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.*