# Light Pollution Map vs Noctis

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Noctis at 67% against Light Pollution Map's 14%. Light Pollution Map's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 2.5) and ratings volume (251 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 Noctis sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Light Pollution Map holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Light Pollution Map has 251 ratings behind it against 2, 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 67% of Noctis'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, Noctis fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Light Pollution Map | Noctis |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (251 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-pollution-map-dark-sky/id1200379779/reviews)** | [2.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noctis-light-pollution-map/id6780199923/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **251** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 14.1% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#153** | — |
| Size | 93 MB | 89 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dunbar Technology, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1200379778) | [Ahmet Giray Ucar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1583246836) |

## 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


### Noctis

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noctis-light-pollution-map/id6780199923)

This app provides a comprehensive score for stargazing conditions by combining light pollution data, weather forecasts, and moon phases. It helps users plan optimal times and locations for astrophotography and observing dark skies.

**Highlights:** Milky Way Score for shooting conditions, Light-pollution map with Bortle class, Real-time dark window countdown, Moon phase and rise/set times, 7-night planning, Best shooting hours calculation

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Noctis+ Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Noctis+ Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Noctis+ Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Light Pollution Map free?

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

### Is Noctis free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Light Pollution Map or Noctis?

Light Pollution Map is rated higher. Light Pollution Map averages 4.5 out of 5 from 251 ratings, while Noctis averages 2.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Light Pollution Map or Noctis have ads?

Neither Light Pollution Map nor Noctis shows ads.

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

Light Pollution Map ships an update every 3 weeks, and Noctis fortnightly. Most recently, Light Pollution Map was updated on October 24, 2026 and Noctis on October 25, 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.*