# NASA vs SkyView®

The clearest difference is price: NASA at Free against SkyView®'s $2.99. NASA also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). SkyView®'s advantage is chart position (#2 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

NASA is free to download; SkyView® costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NASA holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NASA has 64K ratings behind it against 7.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of NASA's written reviews are positive against 77% of SkyView®'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

NASA ships an update every 2 weeks, SkyView® every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | NASA | SkyView® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (64K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nasa/id334325516/reviews)** | [4.6 (7.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyview/id404990064/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **64K** | 7.7K |
| Positive reviews | 69.9% of reviews | **76.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#2** |
| Size | 60 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/355542146) | [Terminal Eleven LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/378238417) |

## What reviewers say

### NASA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nasa/id334325516)

Explore the universe with access to live and on-demand NASA+ videos, a vast collection of stunning images, and the latest mission news. Discover interactive augmented reality experiences and track the International Space Station's path.

**Highlights:** NASA+ video streaming, 21,000+ NASA images, Latest NASA news, Mission updates, Podcasts, ISS tracking and Sky View, Augmented reality experiences

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast loading
- 👍 Informative and educational
- 🌟 Amazing images and videos
- 💻 Great for learning about space
- 🔭 Comprehensive space information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find content
- 📺 Missing live streaming features
- 🔄 Outdated user interface
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch for some devices
- Inability to close/exit image viewer
- Notifications not working as expected
- Incompatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add live streaming of NASA TV
- Improve navigation and search
- Implement dark mode option
- Bring back old features (e.g. APOD widget, ISS sightings)
- Enhance 3D models and AR capabilities


### SkyView®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyview/id404990064)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Paid · Education, #29 Top Paid (US App Store)

Identify stars, constellations, planets, and satellites by simply pointing your device at the sky. This app uses augmented reality to guide you and provides information on celestial objects, upcoming events, and even allows you to travel through time to view the sky on different dates.

**Highlights:** Identify stars, planets, and satellites with AR, Discover all 88 constellations, Schedule alerts for celestial events, Night mode for preserving vision, Time travel to view past/future skies, Capture and share celestial images

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🔭 Helpful for stargazing and identifying celestial objects
- 🌌 Provides a lot of information about the night sky
- 🎶 Relaxing background music
- 🤩 Amazed by the app's capabilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Calibration issues and inaccurate compass
- 🤷‍♀️ Missing some celestial objects like comets and the James Webb Space Telescope
- 🌌 Constellation overlays can be obstructive
- 🙈 Showing stars/planets on walls/floors even when not present
- 📱 Compatibility issues on certain devices

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing and crashing issues
- Compass and orientation problems
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between automatic and manual calibration

**Requested features**

- Add more celestial objects like comets, dwarf planets, and the James Webb Space Telescope
- Improve calibration and compass accuracy
- Add option to hide constellation overlays
- Implement a feature to track the International Space Station and other satellites
- Add a widget for quick access to sky information


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NASA free?

NASA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SkyView® free?

SkyView® costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NASA or SkyView®?

NASA is rated higher. NASA averages 4.8 out of 5 from 64K ratings, while SkyView® averages 4.6 from 7.7K ratings.

### Do NASA or SkyView® have ads?

Neither NASA nor SkyView® shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NASA or SkyView®?

NASA ships an update every 2 weeks, and SkyView® every 4 months. Most recently, NASA was updated on October 3, 2026 and SkyView® on October 3, 2026.

---

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