# Solar Eclipse Timer vs DWARFLAB

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DWARFLAB at none against Solar Eclipse Timer's 6. Solar Eclipse Timer's advantage is review sentiment (68% vs 36%) and rating (3.8 vs 3.5). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Solar Eclipse Timer sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. DWARFLAB asks for nothing beyond the download.

Solar Eclipse Timer holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 561 and 145 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Solar Eclipse Timer's written reviews are positive against 36% of DWARFLAB's.

Solar Eclipse Timer ships an update monthly, DWARFLAB every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Solar Eclipse Timer | DWARFLAB |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.8 (561 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-eclipse-timer/id1203105865/reviews)** | [3.5 (145 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dwarflab/id1667394131/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **561** | 145 |
| Positive reviews | **68.4% of reviews** | 36.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 231 MB | 219 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Foxwood Astronomy, LLC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1180239027) | [Tinyphoton (Wuhan) Technology. Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470898020) |

## What reviewers say

### Solar Eclipse Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-eclipse-timer/id1203105865)

This app provides precise countdowns and reminders for solar eclipse phenomena, aiding both casual observers and photographers. It works offline and offers features like automatic partial-phase image timing and a dedicated photographer mode.

**Highlights:** Offline eclipse timing, Precise contact time calculation, Photographer mode, Automatic partial-phase image timing, Geolocation and manual coordinate entry, Audio and notification tests

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Total - 7/2/19; Chile, Argenti | $1.99 | one-time |
| Total - 12/14/20; Chile, Argen | $1.99 | one-time |
| Total – 12/4/21; Antarctica | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hybrid – 4/20/23; Australia | $1.99 | one-time |
| Total – 4/8/24; USA, Mexico | $1.99 | one-time |
| Solar Eclipse Timer | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate timing and announcements
- 👍 Enhanced eclipse viewing experience
- 🎉 Worked flawlessly for 2017 and 2024 eclipses
- 💡 Helpful for photographers and non-photographers
- 🔊 Useful audio cues and prompts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 🔍 Confusing or cluttered user interface
- 🔋 Audio prompts not working in some cases
- 🗺️ Inaccurate location detection or totality information

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing when loading timing data
- Notifications not working when camera is in use
- Incorrect contact times displayed for some locations

**Requested features**

- Customizable reminders or timers
- Automatic time zone and location updates
- Lunar eclipse support
- Improved onboarding and tutorial
- Countdown timer with graphical depiction


### DWARFLAB

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dwarflab/id1667394131)

This app connects wirelessly to a smart telescope, offering intuitive control for capturing stunning images of the night sky and dynamic terrestrial scenes. It features automatic tracking, in-app image processing, and panorama creation for both astrophotography and everyday use.

**Highlights:** Wireless telescope connection, In-built star atlas for astrophotography, Automatic celestial and motion tracking, In-app image stacking and post-processing, Gigapixel panorama creation, Time-lapse photography

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📸 High-quality astrophotography results
- 💰 Excellent value for price
- 🎯 Intuitive sky atlas and target selection
- 🔄 Frequent app updates and improvements
- ⚡ Responsive developer team

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔌 Persistent WiFi connectivity issues
- ⏱️ Slow connection establishment (15-30 minutes)
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 📉 Tracking frame drops (25% loss reported)
- 🔄 Connection drops after minutes

**Reported bugs**

- WiFi connection fails repeatedly or drops within seconds
- App crashes on iOS 18 and older iOS versions
- Account creation security verification fails
- Full-screen mode freezes with no escape option
- Autofocus produces inconsistent or blurry results

**Requested features**

- One-tap return to home and power off function
- Panorama/mosaic image merging capability
- Comet-aligned tracking mode
- Dew control for iOS (available on Android)
- iPad-optimized app version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Solar Eclipse Timer free?

Solar Eclipse Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is DWARFLAB free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Solar Eclipse Timer or DWARFLAB?

Solar Eclipse Timer is rated higher. Solar Eclipse Timer averages 3.8 out of 5 from 561 ratings, while DWARFLAB averages 3.5 from 145 ratings.

### Do Solar Eclipse Timer or DWARFLAB have ads?

Neither Solar Eclipse Timer nor DWARFLAB shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Solar Eclipse Timer or DWARFLAB?

Solar Eclipse Timer ships an update monthly, and DWARFLAB every 5 weeks. Most recently, Solar Eclipse Timer was updated on October 22, 2026 and DWARFLAB on October 30, 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.*