Spyglass vs Celestial Nav
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Spyglass
This app is a comprehensive offline navigation tool for outdoor and off-road adventures. It combines a high-tech compass, GPS receiver, and augmented reality display with numerous tools for tracking, measuring, and celestial observation.
- Offline GPS and maps
- Augmented reality display
- Advanced compass and gyrocompass
- Waypoint tracking and navigation
- Sun, Moon, and star finder
- Optical rangefinder
- Camera with GPS data overlay
Read full descriptionHide full description
Spyglass is an essential offline GPS app for outdoors and off-road navigation. Packed with tools it serves as binoculars, heads-up display, hi-tech compass with offline maps, gyrocompass, GPS receiver, waypoint tracker, speedometer, altimeter, Sun, Moon and star finder, gyro horizon, rangefinder, coordinate converter, sextant, inclinometer, angular calculator and camera. It saves your custom places and waypoints, navigates precisely to them later, shows them on maps and using real-time augmented reality displays detailed GPS info, measures distances, sizes, angles, and does a lot more. COMPASS & GYROCOMPASS Accuracy improvement techniques, special compass modes and calibration methods available in Spyglass only make it a real instrument – the most advanced and accurate digital compass. FINDER, TRACKER & AR NAVIGATION Spyglass operates in 3D and uses augmented reality to show real-time object positions, info and directions to them overlaid over camera or maps. Save current position, add points from maps, manually enter location coordinates and bearings, add stars by hand or use a built-in star catalogue. Find saved places and objects later simply by following directional arrows. Spyglass tracks multiple targets simultaneously and shows their info – distance, direction, azimuth, elevation and estimated time of arrival. Copy, paste and share locations, coordinates and map links using many supported formats. GPS, SPEEDOMETER & ALTIMETER Find and track your location and get detailed real-time GPS data – coordinates in dozens of formats, altitude, course, current, maximum and vertical speed, using imperial, metric, nautical and surveying units. OFFLINE MAPS See your and targets’ positions on maps using different map styles and alternative map providers – plan waypoints and measure distances. Offline maps optimized for retina displays are available for download. TRACK STARS, SUN AND MOON & NAVIGATE BY STARS Track positions of stars, Sun and Moon with arc second precision – use them as a reference to calibrate compass for maximum accuracy. OPTICAL RANGEFINDER Measure distances to objects in real time with a rangefinder reticle similar to sniper sights. SEXTANT, ANGULAR CALCULATOR AND INCLINOMETER Find out heights of objects and distances to them – measure visually and calculate dimensions and distances. CAMERA Take pictures overlaid with all available GPS, positional and directional data. DEMO & HELP Videos: http://j.mp/spyglass_vids Manuals: http://j.mp/spyglass_help If you need specific map sources for hiking, cycling, skiing and many more outdoor activities, feel free to enjoy Spyglass PLUS. At confirmation of the Spyglass PLUS purchase, payment will be charged to your iTunes account, and it will be charged for renewal within 24-hours before the end of the current period. Automatic renewal can be turned off at any time in your Account Settings after purchase. After the cancellation of the renewal, Spyglass Plus will expire at the end of the current period. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us at https://spyglassnav.com Privacy Policy: https://www.unblip.com/tmp/privacy_and_terms/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.unblip.com/tmp/privacy_and_terms/terms.html
Celestial Nav
This app provides tools for celestial navigation, offering computations for celestial bodies and sight reductions. It includes an offline perpetual almanac and allows for quick capture of observation data for accurate course adjustments.
- Celestial navigational computations
- Offline perpetual almanac
- Quick celestial observation data capture
- High accuracy sight reductions
- Sight planning and reduction tools
- Celestial fix computations
Read full descriptionHide full description
We believe celestial navigation is an amazing skill and develop Celestial Nav to offer a simple, yet powerful and all encompassing app for our users. Celestial Nav is an easy to use, all-in-one tool which offers: • Celestial navigational computations for your device • Simple toolbar menu for quick access • Internally stored perpetual Almanac • Offline ready and functional without the need for other external tools • Quick and easy capture celestial observation data • High accuracy sight reductions • Star reference tables SIGHT PLANNING • Local Hour Angle (LHA) for Aries • Star tables sorted by name, magnitude, declination, and SHA • Sunrise, sunset, twilight, and location reference • Moon phase reference SIGHT REDUCTION • High accuracy sight reduction algorithm • Perpetual Almanac offering accurate data for years 1600 - 3000 • Almanac data for Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn • Detailed Almanac data for 58 navigational stars • Assumed Position (AP) for any user defined position • Line of Position (LOP) intercept data for accurate course and speed adjustments • Computational variables displayed for accuracy and validation CELESTIAL FIX • Computations by USNO algorithm in the Nautical Almanac • Save all your LOP in an easy reference table BASIC VERSION Free daytime celestial navigation tools using the sun: • Unlimited sextant sight reduction calculations • Sight reduction to a line of position using the sun • Perpetual almanac for the sun • Advanced sight corrections for index error, eye height, temperature, and pressure • Support for upper and lower limb reference • Star Table with navigational references • Detailed Sun references • Limited Moon references PRO FEATURES (IN-APP PURCHASE) Advanced Day & Night Celestial Navigation includes all BASIC features plus: • Almanac data for 65 navigational bodies for years 1600 through 3000 • Map display for saved LOPs • View intercepts with course and speed corrections • Metric and imperial unit support with automatic conversions • Support for coordinate entries in different formats (H° M’ S” or Decimals) • Save all your LOP calculations for future reference • Save user preferences and settings • Unrestricted moon references • Almanac and algorithmic models for 65 navigational bodies: • Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn • 58 navigational stars Supported stars: Acamar, Achernar, Acrux, Adhara, Aldebaran, Alioth, Alkaid, Alnair, Alnilam, Alphard, Alphecca, Alpheratz, Altair, Ankaa, Antares, Arcturus, Atria, Avior, Bellatrix, Betelgeuse, Canopus, Capella, Deneb, Denebola, Diphda, Dubhe, Elnath, Eltanin, Enif, Fomalhaut, Gacrux, Gienah, Hadar, Hamal, Kaus Australis, Kochab, Markab, Menkar, Menkent, Miaplacidus, Mirfak, Nunki, Peacock, Polaris, Pollux, Procyon, Rasalhague, Regulus, Rigel, Rigil Kent., Sabik, Schedar, Shaula, Sirius, Spica, Suhail, Vega, Zubengenubi REFERENCES Sight reductions and celestial calculations use various internationally accepted references for the most accurate results: • Jean Meeus - Astronomical Algorithms • US Naval Observatory (USNO) Almanac and Algorithms • Hipparcos New Astrometric Catalog, Published 2007 • ELP2000-85 SUBSCRIPTION TERMS Celestial Nav is free to download and the basic features free to use. A paid upgrade to the PRO version provides access to premium features and additional tools. We may offer trial subscriptions that give limited time access to all PRO features and premium content for the duration of the trial period. Trial subscriptions automatically expire and the app will revert back to the Basic version thereafter. No data is lost but access and use of premium features will no longer be available.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Celestial Nav at none against Spyglass's shown. Spyglass's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (3.9K vs 10). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Spyglass sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Celestial Nav sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Spyglass holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spyglass has 3.9K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Spyglass's written reviews are positive against 58% of Celestial Nav's.
Spyglass ships an update every 6 weeks, Celestial Nav every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Spyglass | Celestial Nav |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (3.9K ratings) — better | 4.3 (10 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 80.2% of reviews — better | 58.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3.9K — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #134 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pavel Ahafonau | Skytip LLC |
Customer experience
Spyglass
Celestial Nav
Bugs and requests
Spyglass
Reported bugs
3 issues- Compass not always accurate or consistent
- Freezing or unresponsive issues after updates
- Difficulty syncing waypoints and locations
Requested features
5 requests- Improved waypoint and location management
- Larger text and UI elements for better readability
- Integration with popular mapping and navigation apps
- Offline elevation data and terrain analysis
- Apple Watch companion app for on-the-go use
Celestial Nav
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Spyglass
- Spyglass Plus$3.991 Month
- Spyglass Plus (Month)3 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Spyglass Plus (Year)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Spyglass Pro (Lifetime)$39.99
Celestial Nav
- PRO Version$1.991 Month
- PRO Version$7.996 Months
- PRO Version$9.991 Year
- 7 Day Trial License$0.99
- 30 Day Trial License$2.99
- PRO Version Lifetime$24.99









