Comparison

Spyglass vs LightPlan

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read 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

About

LightPlan

Visualize the sun and moon's path in 3D on real-world terrain to plan outdoor photography. See golden hour, blue hour, and shadows with precision. Save locations and camera angles for perfect shots.

Highlights
  • Photorealistic 3D sun and moon visualization
  • Interactive timeline for golden hour and blue hour
  • 3D building shadow visualization
  • Smart location library with custom camera angles
  • Syncs locations across devices
  • Elevation charts and compass
Features
Read full description

Know exactly when the sun will light the façade, before you book the shoot. LightPlan shows where the sun will be and where the shadows will fall at any address, on any date, at any time. Find the building, slide the timeline, and see the light. That's it. Made for real estate and architecture photographers who would rather be shooting than learning an app. BOOK THE RIGHT HOUR, NOT A GUESS Your client wants the front elevation in full sun and the lobby glass without glare. Drop a pin on the property, scrub through the day and watch the sun swing across the building. You'll know which morning or afternoon gives you the light you need, and you can give the agent a time with confidence. SEE THE SHADOWS BEFORE THEY RUIN THE SHOT Neighbouring towers, trees and parking structures cast shadows you only discover on site. LightPlan's 3D shadow map shows how shadows move across the property through the day, so you can avoid the hour when half the façade goes dark. SCOUT WITHOUT DRIVING THERE Photorealistic 3D maps let you look at the building from the street or from above, the way your camera or drone will see it. Work out your angles at your desk and arrive knowing exactly where to set up. NAIL THE TWILIGHT EXTERIOR Twilight shoots are won or lost in a few minutes. LightPlan gives you sunset, golden hour, blue hour and twilight times for the exact location, so you're set up and lit before the sky turns. SHARE THE PLAN, SKIP THE BACK-AND-FORTH Send the agent, architect or your second shooter a link to the exact place, time and view. It opens in LightPlan or in any web browser, so nobody needs the app to see the plan. SIMPLE BY DESIGN No dashboards. Nothing to set up. One clean map and one timeline. If you can use Maps, you can use LightPlan, and you'll have your answer in seconds. ON EVERY DEVICE YOU WORK FROM Plan on your Mac at the office, walk the client through it on iPad, and check it on your iPhone on site. Saved locations sync through iCloud. Stop guessing at the light. Plan it. Privacy‑focused design · No ads, ever · Works worldwide Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://lightplan.app/privacy.html

Screenshots

Spyglass4 screens
LightPlan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: LightPlan at none against Spyglass's shown. Spyglass's advantage is ratings volume (3.9K vs 10) and review sentiment (80% vs 57%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Spyglass sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and LightPlan sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Spyglass against 4.6 for LightPlan. 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 are what separate them: 80% of Spyglass's written reviews are positive against 57% of LightPlan's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spyglass ships an update every 6 weeks, LightPlan every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Spyglass versus LightPlan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpyglassLightPlan
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3.9K ratings) — better4.6 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews80.2% of reviews — better57.1% of reviews
Number of ratings3.9K — better10
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#137 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS13.4 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB77 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPavel AhafonauRivolu LLC

Customer experience

Spyglass

All ratings3,864 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral3.0%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews435 reviews
Positive80.2%
Neutral4.1%
Negative15.6%

LightPlan

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative42.9%

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

LightPlan

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Spyglass

Subscriptions3
  • Spyglass Plus$3.991 Month
  • Spyglass Plus (Month)3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Spyglass Plus (Year)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Spyglass Pro (Lifetime)$39.99
3 purchases

LightPlan

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Membership$59.99

Questions

Is Spyglass free?
Spyglass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LightPlan free?
LightPlan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Spyglass or LightPlan?
Spyglass is rated higher. Spyglass averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while LightPlan averages 4.6 from 10 ratings.
Do Spyglass or LightPlan have ads?
Spyglass shows ads; LightPlan does not.
Which is updated more often, Spyglass or LightPlan?
Spyglass ships an update every 6 weeks, and LightPlan every 3 weeks. Most recently, Spyglass was updated on October 24, 2026 and LightPlan on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons