Comparison

SkyORB Classic Astronomy vs Celestia

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

Head to head
About

SkyORB Classic Astronomy

Explore the cosmos with a 3D planetarium and real-time celestial event tracking. Identify stars and planets using your device's sensors and AR, and receive notifications for upcoming astronomical phenomena. Access detailed information and simulations from any location.

Highlights
  • 3D star map and planetarium
  • Real-time planet orbits
  • AR night sky identification
  • Celestial event notifications
  • Universal search for celestial objects
  • Moon phase tracking
  • Worldwide sky simulations
Features
Read full description

Unleash the power of the universe with SkyORB, your all-in-one astronomy companion. Explore the stars, planets, and celestial events like never before. Discover the wonders of the cosmos and stay informed about astronomical phenomena. Why Choose SkyORB? Astronomy at Your Fingertips: SkyORB is a lightweight and fast astronomy app designed to put the universe in the palm of your hand. With a 3D star map, a feature-packed planetarium, ephemeris with notifications, and much more, it's your gateway to the cosmos. Real-Time 3D Universe: Immerse yourself in a breathtaking 3D representation of our solar system. Watch as planets orbit the sun in real-time. Zoom in for a closer look at the planets or zoom out to explore the entire Milky Way. Explore the Night Sky: SkyORB brings the night sky to life. Use your device to point at a star or planet, and our app will identify it for you. Whether you rely on GPS positioning, compass orientation, gyroscope data, or ARKit, we've got you covered. Stay Informed: Keep track of comets and satellites with updates from the web. Stay on top of celestial events with personalized ephemeris that covers the next 60 days. Whether it's the peak of a meteor shower or a planetary elongation, we'll make sure you're in the know. Universal Search: Looking for a specific celestial object? Our universal search engine lets you find everything from constellations and planets to space probes and more with just a few keystrokes. Moon Phases: SkyORB provides moon phase information, including rise and set times. Explore the moon's changing faces and understand its impact on the night sky. Worldwide Simulations: Simulate the night sky from any location on Earth or even from other planets like Mars. SkyORB Classic lets you explore the universe from wherever you are. Notifications: Receive local notifications for significant astronomical events like planet visibility, full and new moons, and eclipses. Plus, get the latest astronomy news delivered right to your device. Upgrade to SkyORB Premium and Unlock Even More: Ad-Free Experience: Say goodbye to ads and enjoy uninterrupted stargazing. Enhanced Planetarium: Go full-screen in planetarium mode, unlocking more views. Extended Information: Get more details on moon phases and ephemeris. Comprehensive Search: Unlock the full potential of our search engine. Multi-Device Access: Access your premium features on all your devices connected to your account with iOS cloud storage. And Much More: Enjoy a host of additional premium features. Apple Watch Support: Now you can explore the cosmos right from your wrist with vocal search, digital crown functionality, an equation of time complication, and standalone use. Upgrade and Renewal: The 12-month Premium Membership automatically renews, ensuring uninterrupted access to premium features. Manage your subscription in your iTunes account settings. Step into the world of astronomy with SkyORB. Download it today and embark on your cosmic journey. The universe is waiting

About

Celestia

Explore the universe in real-time 3D. Visit planets, moons, star clusters, and galaxies, viewing them from any point in space and time. Customize your experience with expandable content and detailed simulations.

Highlights
  • Real-time 3D space visualization
  • Explore planets, moons, stars, galaxies
  • Accurate solar system object positions
  • Interactive planetarium mode
  • Expandable content with add-ons
  • Customizable celestial databases
Features
Read full description

Celestia — real-time 3D visualization of space 3D Space Simulator | Celestia lets you explore our universe in three dimensions. Celestia simulates many different types of celestial objects. From planets and moons to star clusters and galaxies, you can visit every object in the expandable database and view it from any point in space and time. The position and movement of solar system objects is calculated accurately in real time at any rate desired. Interactive Planetarium | Celestia serves as a planetarium – for an observer on any celestial object. You can easily navigate to any world and land on its surface. When used as a planetarium, Celestia shows accurate positions of solar system objects in the sky. You can switch labels and other supporting features on and off with hotkeys, or zoom in and out on an object of interest, for example Jupiter’s system of moons. Expandable Content | Customize Celestia according to your needs. Celestia’s catalogues can be easily expanded. There are many different add-ons available containing new objects like comets or stars, high-resolution textures of Earth and other well mapped solar system bodies, as well as 3D models for asteroids and spacecraft on precise trajectories. Even fictional objects from well-known sci-fi franchises can be found. EULA(End User License Agreement): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SkyORB Classic Astronomy4 screens
Celestia4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Celestia at none against SkyORB Classic Astronomy's shown. Celestia also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 54%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, rating, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SkyORB Classic Astronomy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year and Celestia sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. 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 — 4.5 for SkyORB Classic Astronomy against 4.4 for Celestia. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Celestia has 339 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of SkyORB Classic Astronomy's written reviews are positive against 79% of Celestia's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SkyORB Classic Astronomy ships an update every 2 months, Celestia fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
SkyORB Classic Astronomy versus Celestia: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkyORB Classic AstronomyCelestia
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (24 ratings) — better4.4 (339 ratings)
Positive reviews53.8% of reviews78.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings24339 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size143 MB550 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStephane Denis林峰 李

Customer experience

SkyORB Classic Astronomy

All ratings24 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews299 reviews
Positive53.8%
Neutral15.4%
Negative30.8%

Celestia

All ratings337 ratings
Positive83.4%
Neutral4.2%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews265 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral5.3%
Negative15.8%

User reviews

SkyORB Classic Astronomy

From 24 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Great app for stargazing
  • 🔍 Useful for identifying stars, planets, and constellations
  • 📅 Helpful calendar of astronomical events
  • 🌍 Accurate representation of the night sky

Room to improve

  • 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive interface
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 💰 Paywall for many features
  • 🔍 Inaccurate or missing information
  • 🔌 Drains battery quickly

Celestia

From 339 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Realistic space simulation
  • 🌌 Ability to explore galaxies and star systems
  • 🔍 Detailed planet and moon textures
  • 📷 Great for taking screenshots
  • 🤖 Reminds users of Space Engine

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
  • 🌌 Limited exploration beyond Milky Way and Andromeda
  • 🌍 Flat terrain on planets
  • 🔍 Lack of detail on some celestial objects
  • 🔒 Paywall for some features

Bugs and requests

SkyORB Classic Astronomy

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Compass and orientation issues
  • Inconsistent behavior across devices
  • Incorrect or outdated celestial data
  • Persistent login and subscription problems

Requested features

4 requests
  • More detailed instructions and tutorials
  • Improved search and navigation
  • Ability to track comets and asteroids
  • Seamless integration with telescopes

Celestia

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Milky Way and other galaxy textures not loading properly
  • Crashes when using certain add-ons
  • Issues with planet and moon orbits not being accurate

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more exoplanets and distant star systems
  • Implement terrain generation for planets
  • Expand to include more galaxies and the overall universe structure
  • Add support for black holes, pulsars, and other exotic objects
  • Improve controls and camera movement

In-app purchases

2 purchases

SkyORB Classic Astronomy

Subscriptions1
  • 1-year Premium Subscription$1.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Version$3.99
4 purchases

Celestia

Subscriptions3
  • Celestia PLUS (Weekly)7 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Celestia PLUS (Monthly)$1.991 Month
  • Celestia PLUS (Yearly)$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Celestia PLUS (Lifetime)$79.99

Questions

Is SkyORB Classic Astronomy free?
SkyORB Classic Astronomy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Celestia free?
Celestia is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SkyORB Classic Astronomy or Celestia?
SkyORB Classic Astronomy is rated higher. SkyORB Classic Astronomy averages 4.5 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Celestia averages 4.4 from 339 ratings.
Do SkyORB Classic Astronomy or Celestia have ads?
SkyORB Classic Astronomy shows ads; Celestia does not.
Which is updated more often, SkyORB Classic Astronomy or Celestia?
SkyORB Classic Astronomy ships an update every 2 months, and Celestia fortnightly. Most recently, SkyORB Classic Astronomy was updated on October 23, 2026 and Celestia on October 29, 2026.

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