# PARS vs NorthStar

The clearest difference is update cadence: NorthStar at every 3 weeks against PARS's every 5 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

PARS ships an update every 5 months, NorthStar every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PARS | NorthStar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Size | 31 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Farrow](https://appshunter.io/developer/763538891) | [Canadian National Railway Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/499359253) |

## What reviewers say

### PARS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pars-paps-tracker/id1440506876)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### NorthStar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northstar/id6501959817)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PARS free?

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

### Is NorthStar free?

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

### Do PARS or NorthStar have ads?

Neither PARS nor NorthStar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PARS or NorthStar?

PARS ships an update every 5 months, and NorthStar every 3 weeks. Most recently, PARS was updated on September 10, 2026 and NorthStar on September 20, 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.*