Comparison

Planetary Hours by Planetaro vs Ulysses

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Planetary Hours by Planetaro

This app calculates planetary hours based on your location, dividing each day into unequal segments ruled by classical planets. It helps you align activities with celestial energies and track moon phases. Widgets and notifications keep you informed.

Highlights
  • Planetary hours and moon calendar
  • Lock and home screen widgets
  • Apple Watch complications
  • Notifications for selected hours
  • Calendar syncing
  • Live Activities integration
  • Multiple themes
Features
Read full description

Planetaro is a powerful planetary hours calculator and moon‑phase calendar that syncs with your location to divide each day into unequal hours from sunrise to sunset. Track which of the seven classical planets—Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury and Moon—rules each hour, and align your activities with their energies. Now featuring Moon Sign tracking and Void of Course (VOC) alerts to help you time your life with even greater precision. Stay in tune with the sky: • Planetary hours & moon calendar — view rulership and lunar phases at a glance • Moon Sign & VOC tracking – Identify the current lunar zodiac sign and avoid the "Void of Course" periods when planning new projects. • Lock & home screen widgets for iPhone and iPad, plus Apple Watch complications • Siri and Shortcuts – ask for the current planetary hour, Moon phase, void of course or your best hours, hands-free • Notifications for selected planetary hours so you never miss a moment • Multiple themes and automatic or manual location selection • Universal app: works seamlessly on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch Based on the ancient Star of the Magi principle, Planetaro helps you make the most of your time by showing favorable and unfavorable moments for different activities. Explore the planetary clock that gave rise to the names of the days of the week and discover a timeless tool for self‑awareness, scheduling and astrology. Learn more at www.planetaro.com. — Terms & Conditions https://planetaro.com/terms-and-conditions/ Privacy Policy https://planetaro.com/planetaro-planetary-hours-widget-privacy-policy/

About

Ulysses

This journal app helps you build self-control by reflecting on daily temptations and the strategies used to overcome them. It offers guided breathing exercises and insights into what works for you, without any pressure of streaks.

Highlights
  • Nightly self-control journaling
  • Guided breathing exercises
  • Insight into effective strategies
  • No streak tracking
  • Cultural ropes exploration
  • Apple Watch integration
  • iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

Sailing home from Troy, Ulysses had to pass the Sirens — whose song pulled every sailor into the sea. He didn't trust willpower. He had himself tied to the mast. It wasn't strength that saved him. It was the rope. Ulysses & the Sirens is a nightly self-control journal built on that three-thousand-year-old trick. Each evening, one question: what did you resist today — and what was the rope that held you? An alarm across the room. A rule you set. The phone charging in the kitchen. Name the rope, tie the knot, and watch your voyage grow. NO STREAKS. EVER. Knots only count up. Nothing you have tied can be untied by a missed day. Quiet weeks are part of every voyage. WHEN THE SIREN SINGS Temptation doesn't wait for your evening review. One tap opens a minute of guided breathing with the rope — and the ropes that have held you before, ready to use. Hold on, then tie the knot while the win is fresh. YOUR ROPES, TESTED See which ropes actually hold you and which sirens keep returning. Insight, not guilt. THE BIGGER PICTURE Art, law, ritual, science — everything people build together is a rope against some siren that sings to all of us. Read the deck of cultural ropes, anchor the ones that hold you, attach your own thoughts and photos, and braid cards of your own. ALSO ABOARD • A knot-tying ceremony for every entry, with milestones at 7, 30, and 100 • Your journal as a golden rope of knots • Apple Watch app — tie a knot from your wrist, with the question on your watch face • Home screen widgets, evening reminder, search, and full export (PDF & JSON) • iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. No servers. No analytics, no trackers, no ads. Your journal lives on your devices and in your private iCloud — nowhere else. Leave any time with everything. ONE PRICE, YOURS FOREVER No subscription, no paywalls, no ads — every feature aboard, and one purchase covers iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. If the rope has held you and you'd like to give more, an optional patron's tip unlocks nothing but a golden lantern icon and our gratitude.

Screenshots

Planetary Hours by Planetaro4 screens
Ulysses4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Planetary Hours by Planetaro at Free against Ulysses's $4.99. Planetary Hours by Planetaro also leads on ratings volume (1.7K vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Ulysses's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and device support (5 vs 3). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Planetary Hours by Planetaro is free to download; Ulysses costs $4.99 up front. Planetary Hours by Planetaro sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Ulysses sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ulysses holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Planetary Hours by Planetaro has 1.7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Planetary Hours by Planetaro ships an update every 3 weeks, Ulysses every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Planetary Hours by Planetaro versus Ulysses: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlanetary Hours by PlanetaroUlysses
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.8 (1.7K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.7K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMuhammed TanriverdiHessam Zahedi

Customer experience

Planetary Hours by Planetaro

All ratings1,668 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.6%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews114 reviews
Positive70.2%
Neutral7.0%
Negative22.8%

Ulysses

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Planetary Hours by Planetaro

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Planetary days/hours displayed incorrectly
  • Subscription issues and refund problems

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add moon phase information
  • Expand calendar view to weekly/monthly
  • Improve planetary hour notifications
  • Provide option for free/one-time purchase

Ulysses

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Planetary Hours by Planetaro

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Plan$2.991 Month
  • Annual Plan7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro$49.99
3 purchases

Ulysses

One-time3
  • Tip — A coil of rope$2.99
  • Tip — A new sail$6.99
  • A ship for the fleet$14.99

Questions

Is Planetary Hours by Planetaro free?
Planetary Hours by Planetaro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ulysses free?
Ulysses costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Planetary Hours by Planetaro or Ulysses?
Ulysses is rated higher. Planetary Hours by Planetaro averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Ulysses averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Planetary Hours by Planetaro or Ulysses have ads?
Neither Planetary Hours by Planetaro nor Ulysses shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Planetary Hours by Planetaro or Ulysses?
Planetary Hours by Planetaro ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ulysses every 2 months. Most recently, Planetary Hours by Planetaro was updated on October 20, 2026 and Ulysses on October 11, 2026.

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