DrakeEQ vs Star Map Night Sky
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DrakeEQ
Explore the possibility of extraterrestrial life with a visually stunning calculator based on the Drake Equation. This app allows you to manipulate the equation's parameters and visualize galaxies in motion, offering an educational and entertaining experience.
- Drake Equation calculator
- Interactive 7 parameter manipulation
- Beautiful 3D galaxy visualizations
- Galaxene Galaxy Engine
- Educational and entertaining simulator
- Universe exploration
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Are we alone? We created DrakeEQ to provide a visually elegant answer to the extraterrestrial question, using the intellectually elegant Drake Equation. We coupled this fun calculator with beautiful, 3D galaxies in motion! To help us celebrate 15 years since the first release in 2009, DrakeEQ 7.0.0 now features our Galaxene Galaxy Engine! Use this fun simulator to graphically quantify the number of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations in our Milky Way Galaxy. Travel the Universe and explore infinitely variable galaxies! Just pinch anywhere and tap the targeting indicator. Perform thought experiments with this unique visual tool; it’s both educational and entertaining. Learn about the famous Drake Equation through direct manipulation of its 7 parameters with DrakeEQ. The Drake Equation states that: N = the number of civilizations in our galaxy with which communication might be possible where: R* = the average rate of star formation in our galaxy fp = the fraction of those stars that have planets ne = the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planets fℓ = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop life at some point fi = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop intelligent life fc = the fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence into space L = the length of time such civilizations release detectable signals into space. Drake Equation. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Star Map Night Sky
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SpaceUtil is a star map with AR that helps you find constellations, explore a 3D solar system, follow the ISS tracker live and see where Voyager is right now. The whole night sky in one astronomy app, with no account, and almost everything computed on your device without an internet connection. ■ AR STAR MAP AND SKY VIEWER • Point your phone at the sky to see the stars and constellations in that direction. • 120,000 stars and all 88 constellations with lines, names and artwork. • AR mode overlays the sky chart on your camera view. • Red night mode for comfortable stargazing in the dark. • Search for a star, planet or constellation and an arrow guides you to it. • Rewind or fast-forward time to see the sky on any date. ■ 3D SOLAR SYSTEM • An orrery with the Sun, the eight planets and major moons in their real positions. • Rotate and zoom with your fingers, and tap a planet for its story. • Live distances to each planet, Jupiter's four big moons and Saturn's rings. • Follow conjunctions and planet alignments. ■ LIVE ISS TRACKER • See where the International Space Station is right now on a 3D globe and a world map, updated every second. • Visible pass predictions for your location with time, direction and altitude. • A sky-path view of each pass. ■ WHERE ARE VOYAGER 1 AND 2? • Follow the two farthest human-made objects on a 3D map of the solar system. • See their current distance from Earth, computed on your device from public space-agency reference data. ■ TONIGHT • A briefing on tonight's observing conditions based on the moon phase and twilight times. • 5 objects worth looking at right now. • Sun, moon and planet rise and set times. • Civil, nautical and astronomical twilight. ■ MOON, ECLIPSES, METEOR SHOWERS • Moon phase calendar and lunar age. • Upcoming solar and lunar eclipses. • Every major meteor shower with its peak night and how bright the moon will be. ■ ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY HELPERS • 500-rule exposure calculator. • Milky Way planner. • Golden hour, blue hour and moonrise direction. ■ LEARN AND PLAY • Constellation myths and a space quiz. • The sky on your birthday and light travel time. • Light-year, AU and parsec converter. • An exoplanet catalog. • An observation log with badges. ■ GETTING STARTED • Open the star map and hold your phone up toward the sky. • Switch on AR mode to see constellation lines over the camera image. • Turn on red mode once you are outside in the dark. • Search for a planet or star and follow the arrow. • Check Tonight before heading out. ■ WHO IS IT FOR? • Stargazers identifying stars and constellations with AR. • Space fans tracking the ISS, the Voyager probes and planetary alignments. • Astrophotographers planning Milky Way shots. • Anyone learning about exoplanets, myths and moon phases. ■ TIPS • Use time controls to preview the sky on an eclipse date. • Check how bright the moon will be before a meteor shower peak night. • Log what you observe to collect badges. ■ FAQ • Do I need an account? No. There is no account and no cloud. • Does it work offline? Almost everything is computed on your device. • Is the camera image saved? No, never. • Are there ads? A single banner ad at the bottom of the screen supports development. No full-screen or video ads. ■ PRIVACY AND PERMISSIONS • Location is used only on the device to align the sky map. • The camera powers the AR view, and its image is never captured, stored or sent anywhere. Data sources: an open star catalog (CC BY-SA) and public satellite, space-weather and planetary data. SpaceUtil is not affiliated with or endorsed by the data providers. Clear skies from SpaceUtil.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Star Map Night Sky at Free against DrakeEQ's $0.99. Star Map Night Sky also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). DrakeEQ's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
Star Map Night Sky is free to download; DrakeEQ costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
DrakeEQ ships an update every 5 months, Star Map Night Sky fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DrakeEQ | Star Map Night Sky |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 2.7 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 37.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Onomaly LLC | tanzsoft |
In-app purchases
DrakeEQ
No in-app purchases
Star Map Night Sky
No in-app purchases









