Comparison

Shade Control vs Lunar Timer

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

Head to head
About

Shade Control

Features
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Open or close your shades with the help of your smartphone or tablet. Manage your schedules.

About

Lunar Timer

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Lunar Timer is a calendar and timer app that notifies you of celestial events — new moons, full moons, and moon transitions. Track the moon's status in real time and stay on top of your schedule. 【Home Screen】 ・Displays the next transition start/end time ・Visual progress bar showing the current phase ・Real-time moon status display (tap to toggle illustrations) 【Push Notifications】 ・Moon transitions: 2 hours before / at start / at end ・New Moon: notified at the exact moment ・Full Moon: notified at a set time on the day of the event *Notification timing is adjusted based on transition periods. ・Automatic silent mode from midnight to 6:00 AM ・Delivered in your device's local time — works worldwide 【Calendar & Reminders Integration】 ・Sync with the default iOS Calendar and Reminders apps ・Register events for the current and next 3 months at once ・Choose your preferred destination list ・Auto-sync: updates to the latest data each month ・Alarm (notification) settings: - Notifications ON: registered at the same timing as push notifications (excludes transition end notifications) - Notifications OFF: registered at each event's start time *For transitions: Calendar registers both start and end times. Reminders register the start time only (end time shown in the title). *Do not delete the Identifier ID in the event notes. It is required for auto-updates and bulk deletion. 【Widgets & Live Activities】 ・Check upcoming events from your home screen without opening the app ・Open the app during a transition to display the end time via Live Activities ・Dynamic Island supported (compatible devices only) 【Premium Plan (Auto-Renewing Subscription)】 ・Ad-free experience ・Annual Schedule (yearly calendar view) ・Annual List (yearly event list) ・Memo feature for each date (quick notes & detailed entries) ■ Subscription Details ・Plan: Premium Plan ・Duration: 1 month (auto-renewing) ・Price: See the in-app purchase screen for pricing in your region. - Payment is charged to your Apple ID. - Automatically renews unless turned off at least 24 hours before the renewal date. - Auto-renewal can be managed anytime in your Apple ID settings. - Use "Restore Purchases" to recover premium features after switching devices. This app is an informational tool that displays the timing of lunar events. It does not guarantee any specific results or outcomes. For questions or bug reports, please use the Contact form in the app's Settings screen.

Screenshots

Shade Control3 screens
Lunar Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shade Control at none against Lunar Timer's 1. Shade Control also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). Lunar Timer's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 months). On price 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. Lunar Timer sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Shade Control asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shade Control ships an update every 4 months, Lunar Timer every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 2 level
Shade Control versus Lunar Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShade ControlLunar Timer
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHA Systems BVATSUKO MOTOYAMA

In-app purchases

None

Shade Control

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Lunar Timer

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Plan3 Days trial$1.991 Month

Questions

Is Shade Control free?
Shade Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lunar Timer free?
Lunar Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shade Control or Lunar Timer have ads?
Lunar Timer shows ads; Shade Control does not.
Which is updated more often, Shade Control or Lunar Timer?
Shade Control ships an update every 4 months, and Lunar Timer every 9 days. Most recently, Shade Control was updated on June 10, 2026 and Lunar Timer on September 11, 2026.

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