Comparison

Shade Control vs Moon Phases

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

Head to head
About

Shade Control

Features
Read full description

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

About

Moon Phases

Features
Read full description

Know tonight’s Moon. Plan your next moonlit night. No subscription: Pro is a one-time purchase. Check the current moon phase, see when the next full moon arrives, and find local moonrise and moonset times. Moon Phases brings these everyday answers together with a cinematic Moon shaped by NASA lunar terrain, soft skies and the faint glow of earthshine. Tonight, at a glance See illumination, Moon age and distance. Follow the Sun and Moon on today’s interactive horizon chart, check sunrise and sunset, and use the Moon compass to find its direction. Save cities to check the Moon away from home. Current weather appears when available. Every full moon, named The Wolf, Pink, Harvest and Beaver Moons each have their own painting and story. See how many days until the next one, share it, and on full moon night start a moonrise countdown on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. Full moon alerts can play an optional howl. Start free β€’ Tonight’s phase and countdowns to the next full and new moon β€’ Local moonrise, transit and moonset times β€’ Today’s Sun/Moon horizon chart and a lunar calendar preview β€’ Upcoming solar and lunar eclipse dates β€’ This month’s named full moon and its story β€’ Optional moonrise, full moon eve, new moon eve and eclipse reminders β€’ A featured illustrated Moon Story, with sources for further reading Go further with Pro One purchase, no subscription: β€’ Remove ads β€’ Explore full monthly and annual lunar calendars β€’ Browse the seven-day phase forecast β€’ Add Home Screen and Lock Screen moon widgets β€’ Plan photography with golden- and blue-hour times β€’ Read all twelve illustrated Moon Stories β€’ Choose Moon colours and imagery, and use alternative calendars Made for iPhone and iPad, with light and dark appearances and layouts that adapt to larger text. Moon and Sun calculations run on your device. Weather and city search require an internet connection. The free version contains ads. Terms of Use: https://pocketgrove.com/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://pocketgrove.com/privacy/

Screenshots

Shade Control3 screens
Moon Phases4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shade Control at none against Moon Phases's 1. Shade Control also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). Moon Phases's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Moon Phases sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Shade Control asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shade Control ships an update every 4 months, Moon Phases every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 2 level
Shade Control versus Moon Phases: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShade ControlMoon Phases
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks β€” better
AdsNo β€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 β€” better18.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size45 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHA Systems BVPocket Grove Ltd

In-app purchases

None

Shade Control

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Moon Phases

One-time1
  • Moon Phases Pro$2.99

Questions

Is Shade Control free?
Shade Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Moon Phases free?
Moon Phases is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shade Control or Moon Phases have ads?
Moon Phases shows ads; Shade Control does not.
Which is updated more often, Shade Control or Moon Phases?
Shade Control ships an update every 4 months, and Moon Phases every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shade Control was updated on November 7, 2026 and Moon Phases on November 9, 2026.

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