Comparison

Star Chart vs Star Map Tracker

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

Head to head
About

Star Chart

Explore the cosmos with this augmented reality astronomy app. Point your device at the sky to identify stars, planets, and constellations in real-time. Discover celestial bodies and their positions, even traveling through time to view the universe's past and future.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality sky identification
  • 3D simulation of the visible universe
  • Real-time celestial object tracking
  • Time shift to view past/future sky
  • Explore planets, moons, and sun
  • View constellations and deep sky objects
  • Detailed object information
Features
Read full description

*** Star Chart is now FREE! *** The top educational & augmented reality astronomy app - download and find out why over 20 million people use Star Chart! You can now have a virtual star chart in your pocket. Look through the eyes of your iPhone or iPad* to see a high-tech window into the whole visible universe. All you have to do is point your AR enabled device* at the sky and Star Chart will tell you exactly what you are looking at. Using state of the art GPS technology, an accurate 3D simulation of the visible universe, and a great deal of technical wizardry, Star Chart calculates – in real time - the current location of every star, planet and moon visible from Earth and shows you precisely where they are; even in broad daylight! Want to know what that bright star is called? Point your device* at it – you might just find out it’s a planet! Want to know what the night sky looks like to people on the other side of the earth? Well just point your device down! Want to know where your star sign is in the sky? Star Chart will tell you all this and more. Star Charts features include: - Just point and view. When you hold your device up to the sky, Star Chart will automatically start tracking your movements to match the sky *. - Alternatively, look around the sky using finger gestures – perfect for armchair astronomers! - In a single app of less than 30MB, Star Chart dynamically scales its visuals and capabilities across all iOS devices to meet the high end capabilities of a retina display iPad while also running smoothly on the earliest iPhones and iPods. - Accurately depicts all the visible stars of the northern and southern hemispheres - a total of approximately 120,000 stars! - Fly to and explore all the planets of the solar system, their moons and the sun all rendered in beautiful 3D with state of the art visual effects. - Using the powerful Time Shift feature, simply tap the time button and smoothly shift up to 10,000 years forward or backward in time. - Displays all 88 constellations, with constellation imagery based on the beautiful artwork by 17th century astronomer Johannes Hevelius. - Includes the complete Messier catalogue of 110 exotic deep sky objects. - Tap on anything in the sky and get the facts on what you are looking at, including distance and brightness. - Very powerful zoom function, lets you view the sky in extra detail, using intuitive finger gestures. - Fully configurable. Star Chart displays only the sky objects that you are interested in. - Allows you to view the sky underneath the horizon. So now you can see where the sun is, even at night! - Manually set your location to find out what the sky looks like from anywhere in the world. - Supports dynamic device orientation viewing. Allows you to view the night sky whilst holding your iPhone/iPad* at any angle. So point your iPhone/iPad* at the sky and see what's out there! ------------ * Augmented Reality mode is available on devices that include a built-in compass. Manual scrolling is supported on all other devices. ------------ Star Chart is published by Escape Velocity Ltd and developed by Escapist Games Ltd. We update Star Chart regularly, so please send us your feedback and feature requests to starchart@escapistgames.com. And thanks for all your feedback so far! Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/starchart Follow Star Chart on Twitter: StarChartApp

About

Star Map Tracker

Explore the night sky with this augmented reality stargazing app. Identify stars, constellations, planets, and galaxies in real-time. It provides detailed information and helps you locate celestial objects.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality celestial body view
  • Identification of over 3,000 stars
  • Depiction of 88 constellations
  • Real-time celestial object tracking
  • Solar system object identification
  • Compass calibration
Features
Read full description

Star Map Tracker is an impressive stargazing augmented reality app boasting a database of over 3,000 stars and constellations. This app not only provides guidance through the vast majority of known stars but also furnishes essential information such as right ascension, declination, azimuth, elevation, and more. Whether you aim to align your telescope or simply desire to point your device at the sky for star, constellation, nebula, galaxy, and solar system object identification, this app caters to your needs, functioning as a proficient star finder and augmented reality map of celestial bodies, offering real-time information about them. Immerse yourself in a captivating night stars safari by finding an open space, taking a stroll, and lifting your device to behold the mesmerizing night sky view. The Star Map app serves as an exceptional tracker for all celestial objects, essentially placing a sky object seeker right in your pocket. Key Features: - Augmented reality view of celestial bodies - 88 constellations depicted with their shapes - Over 3,000 actual stars accompanied by detailed descriptions - Ability to search by star/constellation name, HD, HR, HIP - Real-time position of stars/constellations in the sky - Inclusion of the entire solar system (consisting of 9 planets, Sun, and Moon) - Realistic lighting, shadows, and planet textures - Milky Way galaxy background enriched with precise spatial positioning - Compass calibration facilitated using the moon, sun, or cardinal points In-App Purchase: - Enhanced access to names and information of over 3,000 stars (by default, only star information for zodiac constellations is available) - Expanded access to 74 constellations (only 14 are available by default: 12 Zodiac constellations, Ursa Minor, and Ursa Major) - Detailed inclusions of the solar system (encompassing 9 planets; Moon and Sun are available by default)

Screenshots

Star Chart4 screens
Star Map Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Star Chart at 85% against Star Map Tracker's 29%. Star Chart also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (25K vs 1). Star Map Tracker's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, ads, 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. Star Chart sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Star Map Tracker sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Star Map Tracker holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Star Chart has 25K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of Star Chart's written reviews are positive against 29% of Star Map Tracker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Star Chart ships an update fortnightly, Star Map Tracker every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Star Chart versus Star Map Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStar ChartStar Map Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (25K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.0% of reviews — better28.6% of reviews
Number of ratings25K — better1
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS7.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB107 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperESCAPE VELOCITY LIMITEDYuriy Kvasha

Customer experience

Star Chart

All ratings24,838 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews1,948 reviews
Positive85.0%
Neutral5.2%
Negative9.8%

Star Map Tracker

Written reviews91 reviews
Positive28.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative57.1%

User reviews

Star Chart

From 25K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💫 Impressive visuals
  • 🌌 Comprehensive celestial information
  • 🔍 Helpful for learning constellations
  • 🌍 Accurate location tracking
  • 🌠 Enjoyable stargazing experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • ⚠️ Outdated and unsupported
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🗺️ Inaccurate mapping and calibration
  • 🔍 Missing key celestial objects

Star Map Tracker

From 1 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • ✨ Visually appealing design
  • 🌟 Shows constellations
  • 🔭 Useful for beginners
  • 💡 VR feature is good

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inaccurate star/planet positions
  • 🧭 Compass calibration issues
  • 💰 Many features locked behind paywall
  • 💸 Not worth the premium cost
  • 🚫 Free version is too limited

Bugs and requests

Star Chart

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Purchased upgrades not working
  • Incorrect positioning of celestial objects
  • GPS location not detected properly
  • Scrolling and navigation issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Update app with latest celestial objects
  • Improve stability and reduce crashes
  • Offer more affordable in-app purchases
  • Enhance mapping and calibration accuracy
  • Add search functionality for specific stars/planets

Star Map Tracker

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • Map is disoriented
  • Stars and planets do not track movement
  • Calibration does not stick
  • App freezes
  • App always points north
Show 6 more
  • Compass is off by degrees
  • Stars constantly shifting
  • App shows incorrect directions
  • GPS is way off
  • App doesn't work on iPhone X
  • AR is useless as camera can't see stars

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add search functionality for stars
  • Include planets in the free version
  • Improve compass synchronization
  • Add language options
  • Show horizon line
Show 2 more
  • Display star sizes/visibility
  • Provide more detailed information on planets

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Star Chart

One-time7
  • Comets$2.99
  • Meteor Showers$4.99
  • Extended Solar System$4.99
Show 4 more
  • Enhanced Constellations$4.99
  • Satellites$4.99
  • Extended Star Catalog$9.99
  • Enhanced Messier Catalog$9.99
3 purchases

Star Map Tracker

One-time3
  • Stars & Constellations$1.99
  • Planets$1.99
  • Premium$2.99

Questions

Is Star Chart free?
Star Chart is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Star Map Tracker free?
Star Map Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Star Chart or Star Map Tracker?
Star Map Tracker is rated higher. Star Chart averages 4.6 out of 5 from 25K ratings, while Star Map Tracker averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Star Chart or Star Map Tracker have ads?
Neither Star Chart nor Star Map Tracker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Star Chart or Star Map Tracker?
Star Chart ships an update fortnightly, and Star Map Tracker every 5 months. Most recently, Star Chart was updated on October 29, 2026 and Star Map Tracker on October 24, 2026.

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