# SkySafari vs The Sky by Redshift

The clearest difference is price: The Sky by Redshift at Free against SkySafari's $4.99. The Sky by Redshift also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.6). SkySafari's advantage is ratings volume (18K vs 817) and chart position (#8 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

The Sky by Redshift is free to download; SkySafari costs $4.99 up front. SkySafari sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and The Sky by Redshift sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for SkySafari against 4.7 for The Sky by Redshift. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SkySafari has 18K ratings behind it against 817, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of SkySafari's written reviews are positive against 65% of The Sky by Redshift's.

SkySafari ships an update monthly, The Sky by Redshift every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SkySafari | The Sky by Redshift |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari/id1257281849/reviews) | **[4.7 (817 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-sky-by-redshift/id1481867620/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **18K** | 817 |
| Positive reviews | 63.9% of reviews | **65.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#8** | — |
| Size | 861 MB | 472 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Simulation Curriculum Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/791341744) | [United Soft Media Verlag GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/330111789) |

## What reviewers say

### SkySafari

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari/id1257281849)

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Paid · Reference, #147 Top Paid (US App Store)

Explore the cosmos with this powerful pocket planetarium. Identify celestial objects by pointing your device at the sky, access a vast database, and enjoy guided audio tours. Plan your stargazing nights with real-time visibility information and simulate the sky from any point in time.

**Highlights:** Point and identify stars, planets, and satellites, Interactive sky chart with real-time updates, Massive deep sky object database, Guided audio tours on astronomy, Simulate past and future sky events, Night vision mode

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SkySafari Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| SkySafari Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Apollo Lunar Missions | Free | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly
- 🚀 Accurate sky mapping
- 🌌 Detailed information on celestial objects
- 💡 Helpful for stargazing and astronomy
- 🔭 Useful for telescope owners

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🤑 Excessive upselling and in-app purchases
- 🤯 Confusing version and feature differences
- 🙄 Intrusive notifications and sounds
- 🤔 Difficult to use some features

**Reported bugs**

- Compass not working correctly
- Disappearing or missing objects
- Time travel feature issues
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to hide toolbar and UI elements
- More customization options
- Improved telescope integration
- Better comet and new object tracking


### The Sky by Redshift

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-sky-by-redshift/id1481867620)

This app is a powerful yet easy-to-use planetarium that acts as your daily astronomy companion. Simply point your device at the sky to identify planets, stars, and constellations, and explore celestial objects with detailed views and informative explanations.

**Highlights:** Identify stars, planets, and constellations, Track celestial object paths, Simulate astronomical events, Explore deep-space objects, Learn about astronomical phenomena, Eclipse timetable and simulation

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Sky Premium 1 Month | $0.99 | per month |
| The Sky Premium 1 Year | $3.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Expertly done
- 👍 Works well
- 👍 Beautiful and accurate
- 👍 Fun to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Too many ads
- 🔍 Intrusive advertising
- 🔍 Information banner not useful

**Reported bugs**

- Unauthorized access to private systems

**Requested features**

- Red light option to preserve night vision
- Smaller, less obtrusive pointer
- More features and accurate information


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SkySafari free?

SkySafari costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is The Sky by Redshift free?

The Sky by Redshift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SkySafari or The Sky by Redshift?

The Sky by Redshift is rated higher. SkySafari averages 4.7 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while The Sky by Redshift averages 4.7 from 817 ratings.

### Do SkySafari or The Sky by Redshift have ads?

Neither SkySafari nor The Sky by Redshift shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SkySafari or The Sky by Redshift?

SkySafari ships an update monthly, and The Sky by Redshift every 2 months. Most recently, SkySafari was updated on November 9, 2026 and The Sky by Redshift on November 7, 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.*