# Planets vs Staslink

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Planets at none against Staslink's 8. Planets also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (90% vs 57%). Staslink's advantage is ratings volume (19K vs 969). On price, rating and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Staslink sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Planets asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Planets against 4.4 for Staslink. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Staslink has 19K ratings behind it against 969, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Planets's written reviews are positive against 57% of Staslink's.

Planets ships an update every 4 months, Staslink every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planets | Staslink |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (969 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planets/id305793334/reviews)** | [4.4 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staslink-satellites-tracker/id1515415038/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 969 | **19K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.3% of reviews** | 56.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 15 MB | 98 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Q Continuum](https://appshunter.io/developer/305793337) | [SMART WIDGET LABS COMPANY LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1561934122) |

## What reviewers say

### Planets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planets/id305793334)

Explore the solar system with a 3D guide. Discover planets, moons, and celestial events with interactive sky views and visibility information. Perfect for budding astronomers.

**Highlights:** 3D solar system guide, 2D sky view, 3D planetarium sky view, Planet visibility times, Rotating 3D planet and moon globes

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Amazing app
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🌟 Accurate and informative
- 🔭 Helpful for stargazing
- 🎓 Educational for kids and adults

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🧭 Compass/orientation issues
- 🌑 Inaccurate moon phase information
- 🌍 Location/GPS issues
- 🔍 Limited search/zoom functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Moon phase information not accurate
- Compass/orientation not working correctly
- App crashes on certain devices or iOS versions
- Location/GPS not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Add Pluto and other dwarf planets
- Include more detailed information on stars and constellations
- Provide notifications for celestial events
- Improve search and zoom capabilities
- Add night mode for better visibility in the dark


### Staslink

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staslink-satellites-tracker/id1515415038)

Track the International Space Station and Starlink satellites with real-time live maps and HD video feeds from NASA. Get personalized reminders for optimal viewing times and explore the universe from an astronaut's perspective.

**Highlights:** Live ISS & Starlink camera feed from NASA, Real-time global tracking with Live Map, Reminders for upcoming satellite visits, Visibility predictions and statistics, HD video of Earth from ISS, Smart Tracking Engine

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium Tracking | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Freetrial | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Freetrial | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Premium | $12.99 | per month |
| Lifetime Premium | $24.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $34.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy setup
- 🚀 Fast internet speeds
- 💡 Useful satellite tracking
- 🔍 Informative app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 🤔 Unclear instructions
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🚫 Limited free features

**Reported bugs**

- App freezing and crashing
- Incorrect satellite pass times
- Location detection issues
- Incompatibility with older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to track specific satellites
- Improved location selection and storage
- Satellite pass notifications
- 3D sky view for better satellite visualization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planets free?

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

### Is Staslink free?

Staslink is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Planets or Staslink?

Planets is rated higher. Planets averages 4.5 out of 5 from 969 ratings, while Staslink averages 4.4 from 19K ratings.

### Do Planets or Staslink have ads?

Staslink shows ads; Planets does not.

### Which is updated more often, Planets or Staslink?

Planets ships an update every 4 months, and Staslink every 2 months. Most recently, Planets was updated on October 13, 2026 and Staslink on October 18, 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.*