Comparison

Star Guide vs AR

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

Head to head
About

Star Guide

Explore the night sky in real-time with this interactive planetarium. Identify stars and planets, visualize celestial objects in 3D, and plan your stargazing sessions with time travel and location previews.

Highlights
  • Real-time planetarium view
  • Augmented Reality mode
  • 3D stars and planets
  • Best viewing time notifications
  • Sky motion preview
  • Past and future sky time travel
  • Location-based sky preview
Features
Read full description

Turn your phone into a real‑time planetarium. Star Guide helps you explore the night sky, identify stars and planets, and plan the best moments to look up—whether you’re stargazing tonight or previewing the sky months from now. Point your device upward to see what’s above you, switch on Augmented Reality (AR) for an immersive sky overlay, and explore celestial objects in 3D. Want to plan ahead? Travel through time to see how the sky changes in the past or future, and preview the view from different locations around the world. Key features • Live star finder & planetarium view Explore the night sky based on your position and direction. • Augmented Reality mode Overlay stars and planets on your camera view for easy identification. • 3D stars & planets Visualize objects in a more immersive way and explore in 3D. • Best viewing time notifications Get alerts for great stargazing moments and upcoming viewing opportunities. • 24‑hour sky motion preview See how a star moves and circles across the sky over a full day. • Past & future sky “time travel” Rewind to previous nights or fast‑forward to plan future observations. • Different locations Change your location to preview the sky from other places—perfect for trips. Great for • Casual stargazing from your backyard • Learning the night sky with an interactive planetarium • Planning the best time to spot planets • Exploring how the sky looks from other cities and countries Permissions (why they may be requested) • Location: improves sky accuracy for your current position • Camera: required for AR mode • Notifications: optional alerts for best viewing times Download Star Guide and start exploring the sky—right from your pocket.

About

AR

Features
Read full description

Discover the universe like never before! This cutting-edge augmented reality app transforms your device into a powerful celestial guide. Simply point your camera at the night sky to instantly identify stars, planets, constellations, and deep-space objects with pinpoint accuracy. Perfect for both amateur stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts, our app delivers professional-grade sky mapping in your pocket. The intuitive interface makes cosmic exploration accessible to everyone, while advanced features satisfy experienced observers.

Screenshots

Star Guide4 screens
AR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AR at none against Star Guide's 4. AR also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.5). Star Guide's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). On price, ads and device support 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

Both are free to download. Star Guide sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. AR asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Star Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, AR every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Star Guide versus AR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStar GuideAR
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (4.4K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews27.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4.4K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.512.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size220 MB233 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStar registerJOC

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Star Guide

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$1.997 Days
  • Star-Registration Premium1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Annually$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • One time$24.99
None

AR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Star Guide free?
Star Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AR free?
AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Star Guide or AR have ads?
Neither Star Guide nor AR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Star Guide or AR?
Star Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, and AR every 5 weeks. Most recently, Star Guide was updated on November 7, 2026 and AR on November 8, 2026.

Other comparisons