# Solar Snap vs Seestar

The clearest difference is price: Seestar at Free against Solar Snap's $1.99. Seestar also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.1). Solar Snap's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (6.5K vs 354). On update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Seestar is free to download; Solar Snap costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Solar Snap holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Solar Snap has 6.5K ratings behind it against 354, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Solar Snap's written reviews are positive against 62% of Seestar's.

Solar Snap ships an update every 6 weeks, Seestar monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Solar Snap | Seestar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-snap/id1599230728/reviews)** | [4.2 (354 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seestar/id6447429891/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.5K** | 354 |
| Positive reviews | **71.3% of reviews** | 61.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#136** | — |
| Size | 34 MB | 1.3 GB |
| Requires iOS | 17.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rise Up Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/923703769) | [SuZhou ZWO Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1367782033) |

## What reviewers say

### Solar Snap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-snap/id1599230728)

**Currently charting:** #136 Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store)

Capture stunning photos of the sun and solar eclipses with this comprehensive app. It includes a camera filter system and an offline simulator with detailed eclipse information and timings for global events. Prepare for upcoming eclipses with expert guidance.

**Highlights:** Solar eclipse photography, Camera filter integration, Offline global eclipse simulator, Detailed eclipse timings, Expert video instructions, Sun photography filter

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 High-quality and stable app
- 🚀 Excellent for capturing eclipse photos
- 🔍 Powerful camera controls (focus, zoom, exposure)
- 🤖 Automatic total eclipse mode works great
- 📸 Produces clear, crisp photos

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with photos not being saved
- 🤔 Automatic lighting changes made photos terrible
- 🤷‍♂️ Struggled to capture partial eclipse stages
- 🧭 No option to use front-facing camera

**Reported bugs**

- Photos permission required error
- Velcro mount issues causing distortion

**Requested features**

- Add remote shutter support (e.g., Bluetooth, Apple Watch)
- Support for external lenses/telescopes
- Ability to select camera lens on multi-camera phones


### Seestar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seestar/id6447429891)

Explore the universe with a smart telescope that simplifies stargazing. Automatically find, focus, and capture celestial objects without professional guidance. Observe stars, the sun, and even landscapes with intuitive app control.

**Highlights:** Wireless control of telescope, Automatic celestial object finding and tracking, Solar observation with filter, Scenery mode for terrestrial viewing, Built-in sky atlas and encyclopedia, Stargazing index and recommendations, Share observations with community

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Continuous updates
- 💡 Great value for money
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 👍 Excellent image quality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Firmware updates causing issues
- 🐛 Connectivity problems
- 🐛 Tracking and stability issues
- 🔋 Battery life concerns
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs after updates

**Reported bugs**

- Firmware update cycle preventing settings changes
- Tracking errors and star trailing issues
- App crashing on startup
- Inability to connect to telescope
- Forced firmware updates during use

**Requested features**

- Add equatorial mode support
- Provide fine control of exposure time
- Implement mosaic mode for wider FOV
- Add support for iPad landscape mode
- Integrate with other astronomy apps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Solar Snap free?

Solar Snap costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Seestar free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Solar Snap or Seestar?

Solar Snap is rated higher. Solar Snap averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.5K ratings, while Seestar averages 4.2 from 354 ratings.

### Do Solar Snap or Seestar have ads?

Neither Solar Snap nor Seestar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Solar Snap or Seestar?

Solar Snap ships an update every 6 weeks, and Seestar monthly. Most recently, Solar Snap was updated on October 22, 2026 and Seestar on October 23, 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.*