Pocket Universe vs EclipseGo
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pocket Universe
Explore the night sky with this intuitive guide. Identify planets, constellations, and satellites by simply pointing your device. Discover celestial events, track celestial bodies, and learn about thousands of astronomical objects.
- Live sky view with object identification
- Time travel for celestial event prediction
- Explore mode for upcoming events and solar activity
- Search and browse celestial objects
- Detailed information on thousands of objects
- Home Screen widgets for Sun/Moon times and Moon phase
- Customizable viewing modes with night vision
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There's never been a better time to get into Astronomy! Start off easy with an app that will guide you around the night sky - and even entertain you a little when the skies are cloudy. "The app works beautifully, making astronomy a bit less mysterious—but no less remarkable", MacWorld "It’s truly an impressive marvel. 5 Mice out of 5", MacWorld. "..one of the prettiest and easiest to use. And at three bucks, it’s a steal", Cult of Mac. Apple App Store Staff Favorite Voted Best Educational iPhone Application by AppAdvice --- Pocket Universe 2 turns your iPhone or iPad into an intuitive guide to the night sky. Just point your device upward to instantly identify what’s overhead—planets, constellations, comets, satellites, and deep-sky wonders. Designed for clarity and ease of use, Pocket Universe 2 helps you learn the sky naturally, whether you’re stepping outside for a quick look or exploring in detail from your couch. Key features • Live sky view: Aim your device to identify stars, planets, the ISS, satellites, comets, and bright deep-sky objects in real time. • Time travel: Scrub hours or days forward and back, jump to sunrise, sunset, golden hour, moonrise, or moonset - and return to “now” instantly. • Explore mode: Discover what’s worth looking for tonight, with summaries of upcoming events, solar activity, Moon phases and maps, Jupiter and Saturn’s moons and rings, a full Solar System orrery, and dedicated ISS and satellite views. • Find anything fast: Search by name, browse curated “cool things” lists, or jump straight to planets and other Solar System bodies. • Rich object details: Learn about thousands of objects, including planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae, and more. • Widgets: Add Sun and Moon times and Moon phase to your Home Screen or desktop. • Deep customization: Night vision mode, labels, grids, constellation lines, satellites, comets, and more. Save presets to switch instantly between your favorite viewing modes. Pocket Universe 2 is the sequel to Pocket Universe, one of the first astronomy apps on the App Store. It has been completely rewritten using modern frameworks and tools to deliver a faster, cleaner, and more immersive stargazing experience. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
EclipseGo
Plan and experience the total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026, in Spain. This app provides a map of the totality path, eclipse timings, live countdown, weather forecasts, and phase simulations. Learn how to observe safely and discover optimal viewing locations.
- Eclipse path map
- Live countdown and alerts
- Weather forecast
- Phase simulation
- Safe observation guidance
- Educational content
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Experience and plan the total solar eclipse of August 2, 2027 in Spain and North Africa. EclipseGo is your all-in-one companion for one of the most spectacular astronomical events of the century: an interactive totality map, precise local timings, live weather forecasts, visual simulation, and countdown. Everything you need to decide where, when, and how to watch the great eclipse. PLAN YOUR ECLIPSE IN DETAIL • Interactive map featuring the path of totality across Spain and North Africa. • Exact contact times: start, maximum totality, and end for your location or any chosen city. • Check estimated totality duration and obscuration percentage. • Discover top viewing destinations and optimal observation spots. WEATHER FORECAST & OBSERVATION ODDS Clear skies make all the difference. As the date approaches: • Check cloud cover predictions and real observation probabilities. • Track temperature, wind speed, and hourly morning progression. • Compare locations to find sites with an unobstructed eastern horizon. SIMULATE THE ECLIPSE ON SCREEN • Play an accurate step-by-step visual simulation for your selected town. • Watch the solar disk change from first contact to total darkness and exit. COUNTDOWN & ALERTS • Live countdown timer tracking every second until the main event. • Set reminders for essential planning milestones. • Generate and share your custom countdown card on social media. SAFETY & VIEWING GUIDE • Educational articles on solar observation, eclipse photography, and travel logistics. • Crucial eye protection guidelines and checklist. EYE SAFETY WARNING: Never look directly at the Sun without certified eye protection. Always wear eclipse glasses compliant with ISO 12312-2 standards or approved solar filters. Follow all in-app safety guidance. Notice: Astronomical calculations and timings are provided for planning purposes. Always cross-check with official sources before traveling.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: EclipseGo at 5.0 against Pocket Universe's 4.5. EclipseGo also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). Pocket Universe's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (254 vs 1). On price and update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Pocket Universe sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. EclipseGo asks for nothing beyond the download.
EclipseGo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Universe has 254 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Pocket Universe ships an update every 5 weeks, EclipseGo monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pocket Universe | EclipseGo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (254 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 72.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 254 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Paid | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 111 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | John Kennedy | Archivados Network SL |
Customer experience
Pocket Universe
EclipseGo
Bugs and requests
Pocket Universe
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes on launch
- Compass issues
- Inaccurate sky positioning
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
Requested features
8 requests- Ability to set time and date
- Improved motion tracking and compass calibration
- Larger text size options
- More detailed information on stars, galaxies, etc.
- Comet and asteroid tracking
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- Satellite tracking
- Southern hemisphere sky view
- Wikipedia integration for more objects
EclipseGo
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Pocket Universe
- Monthly subscription$0.991 Month
- Annual subscription$4.991 Year
- Pocket Universe Lifetime unlock$19.99
EclipseGo
No in-app purchases








