# Spyglass vs LightPlan

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spyglass | LightPlan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spyglass/id332639548/reviews)** | [4.6 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightplan-sun-path-and-shadow/id1668588896/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | **80.2% of reviews** | 57.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#136** | — |
| Size | 66 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.4** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pavel Ahafonau](https://appshunter.io/developer/319585607) | [Rivolu LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1086229238) |

## What reviewers say

### Spyglass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spyglass/id332639548)

**Currently charting:** #136 Top Grossing · Navigation (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spyglass Plus | $3.99 | per month |
| Spyglass Plus (Month) | $3.99 | per month |
| Spyglass Plus (Year) | $29.99 | per year |
| Spyglass Pro (Lifetime) | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Excellent navigation and mapping features
- 🔍 Highly accurate compass and location tracking
- 🔭 Useful augmented reality and sextant functions
- 📸 Ability to capture geotagged photos
- 🛠️ Comprehensive set of tools and utilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤔 Steep learning curve and complex interface
- 🗺️ Outdated or incomplete map data in some regions
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes reported
- 💰 Subscription model for advanced features

**Reported bugs**

- Compass not always accurate or consistent
- Freezing or unresponsive issues after updates
- Difficulty syncing waypoints and locations

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightplan-sun-path-and-shadow/id1668588896)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Membership | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*