Comparison

SkyORB ∞ Astronomy vs NearLight

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

Head to head
About

SkyORB ∞ Astronomy

Explore the universe with an interactive 3D star map, real-time celestial positions, and a 14-day schedule of astronomical events. Identify stars and planets using augmented reality and access detailed information about celestial bodies.

Highlights
  • Interactive 3D star map
  • Real-time celestial positions
  • Augmented Reality (AR) identification
  • 14-day astronomical event schedule
  • Detailed planet and celestial body information
  • Time shift feature for celestial events
Features
Read full description

SkyORB ∞ — The Premium Version of SkyORB Classic SkyORB ∞ is the premium edition of SkyORB Classic, created for users who want the most complete and refined SkyORB experience. It features better sky maps, more advanced 2D and 3D charts, richer astronomy information, improved navigation, and a modern interface for exploring the night sky. Built on more than 20 years of astronomy app development, SkyORB ∞ brings together interactive 2D and 3D sky maps, real-time planet and star positions, Augmented Reality sky identification, detailed Moon and Sun information, astronomy events, Apple Watch support, and a refined interface optimized for the latest Apple devices. SkyORB ∞ is a one-time purchase with no ads, no subscriptions, and no in-app purchases. Every feature is included. ### Why choose SkyORB ∞? SkyORB Classic makes astronomy accessible to everyone. SkyORB ∞ goes further with clearer and more detailed sky maps, improved stereographic and orbit charts, a cleaner interface, deeper sky information, and premium features designed for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. ### Main Features Explore an interactive 3D sky map with stars, planets, constellations, comets, satellites, and deep-sky objects. Navigate redesigned 2D sky and orbit charts with curved labels, clearer constellation names, smart overlap reduction, panning, automatic framing, and detailed satellite and comet trails. Use Augmented Reality to identify stars, planets, and constellations by pointing your device at the sky. Follow the Sun and Moon with rise and set times, moon phases, and daily sky information for your location. Travel through time to see the sky in the past or future and prepare for upcoming celestial events. Check a 14-day astronomy calendar with Moon phases, planetary events, meteor showers, and other sky highlights. Discover detailed information about planets, the Moon, Messier objects, and famous astronomers. Stay connected with Apple Watch support, including quick access to useful astronomy information from your wrist. Enjoy a modern, refined interface designed for recent iPhone and iPad models. ### Premium, Simple, Yours SkyORB ∞ is made for users who want the best version of SkyORB: more complete, more precise, more comfortable to use, and entirely free from ads, subscriptions, and in-app purchases. Whether you are a casual stargazer, an astronomy enthusiast, or a long-time SkyORB user, SkyORB ∞ gives you a powerful and beautiful way to explore the universe. Upgrade from SkyORB Classic to SkyORB ∞ and enjoy the premium way to discover the night sky.

About

NearLight

Explore the cosmos from your backyard telescope to the edge of a black hole. Simulate real celestial events, fly through star systems, and experience relativistic travel. Discover the universe with accurate astronomical data and stunning visuals.

Highlights
  • Real night sky simulation
  • Accurate solar system orbits
  • Interstellar travel simulation
  • Relativistic optics effects
  • Full Messier catalog
  • Light pollution simulation
Features
Read full description

NearLight is a 3D space simulator that spans the whole journey of an astronomy fan: from a real telescope under tonight's sky to a relativistic starship and the edge of a black hole. Explore the Solar System on exact orbits, fly through 1,000 light-years of real stars, and see with your own eyes what the Lorentz factor does to time. Is your favorite sci-fi movie physically right? Check it. YOUR NIGHT SKY, TONIGHT Step onto a field on Earth and look up: the real sky for your location and moment: by GPS or from an offline catalog of 34,000 cities. Six telescopes stand ready, from a 70 mm beginner refractor to a 12-inch truss Dobsonian, with eight eyepieces, a Barlow, Moon and nebula filters (UHC, OIII), every instrument with its true magnification, field of view, image orientation and brightness. The full Messier catalog is in the sky: over 40 objects as real as astrophotographs at their exact positions and sizes, every object rebuilt from reference photos, 341,000 Tycho-2 stars deep in the field. Light pollution (Bortle scale), atmospheric seeing, twinkling, horizon extinction, even moonlight washing the galaxies out of the eyepiece, this sky behaves like the real one. A Redlight mode protects your dark adaptation. Wind the clock to August 12, 2026 and stand in Iceland or Spain: the total solar eclipse happens with true geometry, corona included. "Tonight's Sky" builds your observing plan, the "Top Objects now" wheel rolls absolute beginners to the ten best sights of the moment and all the Messier objects wait to be discovered, for good. THE SOLAR SYSTEM The Sun, all 8 planets and their major moons on ephemeris-true orbits, validated against JPL data: moon transits and shadow events at the correct times, Saturn's ring shadow, true axial tilts. Classical Spaceflight flies real missions: departure burn, coast, flip, capture burn into orbit, including Voyager-class gravity assists past Jupiter. INTERSTELLAR Search and inspect 8,000+ real stars with names, distances, stellar data, exoplanet hosts and their neighbors within 10 light-years. Plan relativistic journeys in Constant-c or Constant-g mode with acceleration, coast and braking phases. Compare Onboard Travel Time (OTT) with Earth Travel Time (ETT), read the length-contracted distance, peak speed and the energy bill (Joule, TWh, PWh or "Sun-output time"). Ride along in three cameras and near light speed the cockpit shows real relativistic optics: star aberration, Doppler colour shift and beaming. THE WHOLE MILKY WAY Pull back until the galaxy fits on screen: 100,000 light-years across, four spiral arms, the barred core: shaped from the NASA/JPL photograph down to the dust lanes and the red glow of its star-forming regions, with up to 450,000 stars drawn at once. Sol sits where it really does, 27,000 light-years out on its thin local arm. Pick any point and a route runs there from home, telling you the distance, the region you are aiming at: bulge, inner disk, rim and whether you are heading coreward or out. Then fly it, with the same relativistic clocks: a trip to the galactic centre costs a few decades on board and 27,000 years on Earth. BLACK HOLES 70+ known black holes from TON 618 to fictional Gargantua, rendered with a scientific Kerr ray tracer. Change mass and spin, sink toward the event horizon or the innermost orbit, and watch two clocks drift apart: one hour here, seven years on Earth, the Interstellar scenario, on your own screen. 6-DoF navigation: rotate, pinch-zoom, pan on every axis Auto rotation, labels, chase and cockpit cams, one-tap Reset View Ambient space music and living nightscape sounds. Native on Mac, iPad and iPhone. English and German, fully localized including VoiceOver Fully offline: no account, no tracking, and your location never leaves your device.

Screenshots

SkyORB ∞ Astronomy4 screens
NearLight4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NearLight at 100% against SkyORB ∞ Astronomy's 0%. NearLight also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). SkyORB ∞ Astronomy's advantage is device support (5 vs 3) and price ($2.99 vs $3.99). On ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

SkyORB ∞ Astronomy costs $2.99 and NearLight $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NearLight holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of SkyORB ∞ Astronomy's written reviews are positive against 100% of NearLight's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SkyORB ∞ Astronomy ships an update every 2 months, NearLight every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
SkyORB ∞ Astronomy versus NearLight: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkyORB ∞ AstronomyNearLight
Price$2.99 — better$3.99
Rating4.0 (1 ratings)4.5 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings14 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.6 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size303 MB241 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStephane DenisMarc Bachmann

Customer experience

SkyORB ∞ Astronomy

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

NearLight

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SkyORB ∞ Astronomy

No in-app purchases

None

NearLight

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SkyORB ∞ Astronomy free?
SkyORB ∞ Astronomy costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is NearLight free?
NearLight costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SkyORB ∞ Astronomy or NearLight?
NearLight is rated higher. SkyORB ∞ Astronomy averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while NearLight averages 4.5 from 4 ratings.
Do SkyORB ∞ Astronomy or NearLight have ads?
Neither SkyORB ∞ Astronomy nor NearLight shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SkyORB ∞ Astronomy or NearLight?
SkyORB ∞ Astronomy ships an update every 2 months, and NearLight every 3 days. Most recently, SkyORB ∞ Astronomy was updated on November 3, 2026 and NearLight on November 9, 2026.

Other comparisons