Comparison

Sun Seeker vs MapQ

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

Head to head
About

Sun Seeker

Track the sun's hourly direction, path, and times for sunrise, sunset, and twilight. Visualize solar data with a compass or AR view, and receive notifications for key solar events. Ideal for planning outdoor activities, photography, and property assessment.

Highlights
  • Hourly sun direction intervals
  • Sunrise, sunset, and twilight times
  • Golden hour and blue hour visualization
  • Flat compass and 3D AR views
  • Sun shadow length calculation
  • Sun event notifications
  • Location-based solar data
Features
Read full description

Sunseeker is a comprehensive solar tracking & compass app. It shows the sun’s hourly direction intervals, its equinox, winter & summer solstice paths, sunrise sunset times, twilight times, sun shadow, the golden hour & more. The app allows you to add sun-event notifications & has a widget showing the day’s solar data & position on an arc. The surveyor view shows the solar direction for each sunlight hour. Sunseeker has both a flat compass view & a 3D Augmented Reality (AR) view to show the solar position & path. The app is useful for - ▶ Photographers- to plan according to the golden hour or blue hour & optimal sunlight conditions, sunrise & sunset times & directions. ▶ Cinematographers- this sun tracker & sun surveyor enables you to find the sun exposure, directions, sun shadow & sunrise sunset times for any location. ▶ Real Estate Buyers- can use the app before buying a property to check the sun path & to find the sun exposure of properties. ▶ Drivers - Sunseeker lets you track the sun path & movement during the days & helps drivers know the sun position to find how long the car will remain in the shade at any given parking spot. ▶ Campers & Picnickers- for anyone planning a day out, Sunseeker app will help in finding where to camp, sit or pitch an umbrella depending on the sunlight & sun direction. ▶ Gardeners- Sun Seeker can also help with finding optimal planting locations & seasonal sunlight hours as a sun rise calendar ▶ Architects & Surveyors- for visualising the spatial variability of the solar angle throughout the year & using the compass app as a sun surveyor & calendar to determine the sunlight directions. Main Features * Sunseeker is a sun locator which uses GPS, magnetometer & gyroscope to find the correct solar position & sun path for your current location. * Flat compass view shows current solar position, diurnal solar angle & elevation (separated into day & night segments), sun shadow length ratio, atmospheric path thickness. * 3D augmented reality (AR) camera overlay view shows the sun's current position, its path with hour points marked. Check golden hour using this feature! * Camera view has an optional pointer to guide you towards the current location of the sun & help you with sun direction. * Map view shows solar direction arrows, sun path & elevations for each hour of the day. * Choose any date to view sun position & path on that day. You can view sunset & sunrise times for each day as well. * Choose any location on earth (includes 40,000+ cities or custom locations available offline, as well as a comprehensive online map search capability) * Get additional details including sun rise, sunset & culmination times, maximum elevation, civil, nautical & astronomical twilight times of the sun. * Optional device notifications for all manner of sun-related periods & events, such as golden hour or blue hour, various twilight & shadow periods, or sun at a given compass heading or above a given elevation. * This sun rise calendar app allows the user to include equinox, summer & winter solstice paths on both flat compass view & camera view. Sun Seeker app has been featured in numerous high-profile blogs, websites & publications, including Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Sydney Morning Herald etc. "Truly amazing", "Incredible", "Brilliant" - the most genuinely useful application of augmented reality - ever! Check out our YouTube video here: https://bit.ly/2Rf0CkO Simply search YouTube for "Sun Seeker app" to find many videos, websites & blogs created by our enthusiastic users FAQs * See https://bit.ly/2FIPJq2 - also easily accessible from the app's info screen Note * The compass accuracy depends on having an undistorted magnetic field around your device. If you use it close to metallic objects or electrical equipment, directional accuracy may be impaired. The device’s compass accuracy can be optimised by calibrating it prior to use. See app’s FAQs for more help.

About

MapQ

Features
Read full description

Ever just want to know how a few places sit relative to each other? That is the only thing this app does. Type a place, a pin drops. Type another, another pin drops. That alone is enough to build the layout in your head. No turn-by-turn directions, no business listings, no reviews. Only where things are in relation to each other. ■ Type, and the pins pile up - Suggestions appear as you type a place, station, or landmark - Tap a suggestion and the pin drops instantly - Pins are numbered and color-coded, so you never lose track ■ See the whole picture - Every time you add a pin, the map zooms to fit them all - One button returns you to the overview whenever you want - Connect the pins with a line to see their order and total distance ■ Address and phone for businesses - Tap a pin or chip to open a detail card - Copy the address, or tap the phone number to call ■ Where you are, and which way you're facing - Your location shows as a blue dot - A blue cone on the map shows the direction you're facing - The compass reads out both bearing and degrees, like "NE 38°" - Distances from you to each pin are listed at a glance ■ Simple and private - No account, no ads - Pins are stored on your device only. Nothing is sent anywhere For planning trips, scoping out a business destination, choosing a neighborhood, or checking how a listing sits relative to the station and the supermarket. The fastest way to build a map in your head.

Screenshots

Sun Seeker4 screens
MapQ4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MapQ at Free against Sun Seeker's $11.99. MapQ also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). Sun Seeker's advantage is chart position (#4 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). On in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

MapQ is free to download; Sun Seeker costs $11.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sun Seeker ships an update every 2 months, MapQ every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Sun Seeker versus MapQ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSun SeekerMapQ
Price$11.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (13K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews88.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings13K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
Best chart rank#4 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperozPDATakeaki Hashimoto

Bugs and requests

Sun Seeker

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes on certain devices
  • Compass not working properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add moon tracking and phases
  • Improve offline functionality
  • Provide more customization options
  • Integrate weather data for better planning

MapQ

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Sun Seeker

No in-app purchases

None

MapQ

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sun Seeker free?
Sun Seeker costs $11.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is MapQ free?
MapQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Sun Seeker or MapQ have ads?
Sun Seeker shows ads; MapQ does not.
Which is updated more often, Sun Seeker or MapQ?
Sun Seeker ships an update every 2 months, and MapQ every 10 days. Most recently, Sun Seeker was updated on October 21, 2026 and MapQ on October 11, 2026.

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