Comparison

StarMap 3D+ Plus vs Star Walk 2 Plus

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

Head to head
About

StarMap 3D+ Plus

Explore the cosmos with a portable star atlas. Identify planets, constellations, and deep sky objects using your device's sensors. Features detailed information and 3D visualizations for both beginners and advanced astronomers.

Highlights
  • Real-time satellite tracking (ISS, Hubble)
  • Extensive star and deep sky object database
  • Detailed constellation information and lines
  • Location-based celestial object identification
  • 3D universe visualization
  • Adjustable date and time for celestial viewing
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Use your iPhone's compass and gyroscope to find planets, constellations, satellites, and more with crisp, colorful, high-definition Retina graphics that use every pixel of your iPhone or iPad! Hold the universe in your pocket! StarMap 3D Plus is the portable star atlas for beginners or advanced astronomers. Use StarMap 3D Plus to find the planets, stars, constellations, star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae visible to you based on your location and time. StarMap 3D will even use the compass to automatically align the map! • Real-time positions of 150 artificial satellites, including the International Space Station (ISS), and the Hubble Space Telescope • iPad Support • Over 100,000 stars, with detailed information for each of them • 6,441 deep sky objects, with details such as distance from Earth, diameter, apparent size and orientation, and morphology • All 88 modern constellations, with lines based on the outlines from "The Stars: A New Way to See Them" by H.A. Rey • MacRobert and Classic constellation lines also available • Location-based-services (LBS) / Global Positioning System (GPS) support, or manually enter your longitude and latitude • Adjustable date and time of day • Also adjust time instantaneously and interactively with the Time Scroll feature • Compass support, if present • Planetarium Mode for seeing only objects visible to you, or browse the entire celestial sphere • 3D Mode for visualizing the universe in three dimensions

About

Star Walk 2 Plus

Explore the cosmos with a real-time sky map. Point your device to identify stars, planets, and constellations. Discover celestial events and learn about the universe with detailed information and 3D models.

Highlights
  • Real-time sky map
  • 3D constellation models
  • Time machine feature
  • Deep sky object identification
  • Augmented reality mode
  • Celestial event tracking
Features
Read full description

Star Walk 2 Plus is an exquisite stargazing app that enables you to explore the sky through the screen of your device. Make an effortless journey through thousands of stars, planets and constellations. All you have to do is point your device to the sky! ⁕BEST OF 2014: The next generation of the best-selling Star Walk, winner of Apple Design Award, used by over 10 million people⁕ The app uses your device’s sensors and the GPS to determine the exact position of stars, planets, constellations and other objects in the sky. “She’s a beauty.”- The Next Web “Star Walk 2 is a terrific introduction to astronomy for young and old. It’s also handy for serious stargazers for observing planning.” - TUAW “Star Walk 2 is visually stunning.” - PCmag “This is a very beautiful and unusual application that turns your phone into a real planetarium.” - Free apps for me “For those who enjoy the original app, Star Walk 2 is worth the upgrade — the interface is gorgeous. Anyone with even a passing interest in astronomy should grab Star Walk 2.” - iLounge “It is worth every penny.” - PadGadget Star Walk 2 Plus in travel & tourism industry: ‘Rapa Nui Stargazing’ based on Easter Island uses the app for sky observations during its astronomical tours. ‘Nakai Resorts Group’ in the Maldives uses the app during astronomy meetings. Main features: ◆ Map of the sky in real time ◆ 3D models of constellations and other sky objects ◆ “Time machine” ◆ Deep sky objects ◆ Rich info about celestial bodies and sky events ◆ The sky at different wavelengths ◆ Augmented reality mode ◆ "What's new" section with the latest astronomical news ◆ "Visible Tonight" section ► Star Walk 2 Plus shows the real-time map of the sky on your screen in whatever direction you are pointing the device (the Star spotter feature). As you point your device towards the sky, the star map follows your motions using the built-in gyroscope to match the map on your screen to the stars seen from your location. ► What's up in the sky tonight? Open the "Visible Tonight" section and learn about the upcoming astronomical events and celestial objects that will be visible from your location. ► Be aware of the latest news from the world of space and astronomy. The app's "What's new" section will tell you about the most outstanding celestial events in time. ► Create shortcuts to take your stargazing experience to a whole new level. Go to the "Visible Tonight" section and add the shortcut to Siri. Next time when you want to access the list of astronomy events for your location, ask Siri and get it quicker than ever. ► Touching a clock-face icon at the upper-right corner of the screen allows you to select any date and time and watch the sky of different periods. ► Get a deeper understanding of the constellation`s scale and place in the night sky. Enjoy observing wonderful 3D models of constellations, turn them upside down, read their stories. ► Find and study deep sky objects such as meteor showers, planetary nebulae, star clusters, etc. The app is ad-supported and contains In-App Purchases. If you want to use the app without ads, download the paid Star Walk 2 app or remove ads from Star Walk 2 Plus with a special In-App Purchase. Star Walk 2 Plus offers an optional subscription that gives you access to all additional content and removes ads from the app. It is an auto-renewable subscription with one week free trial. At the end of each subscription duration (1 month), the subscription will automatically renew until you choose to cancel it. Users can manage their subscriptions in their account settings on the App Store. Privacy policy: http://vitotechnology.com/privacy-policy.html Terms of use: http://vitotechnology.com/terms-of-use.html Start your best stargazing experience!

Screenshots

StarMap 3D+ Plus4 screens
Star Walk 2 Plus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Star Walk 2 Plus at Free against StarMap 3D+ Plus's $2.99. Star Walk 2 Plus also leads on ratings volume (96K vs 6.9K). StarMap 3D+ Plus's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (86% vs 70%). On rating, update cadence, 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

Star Walk 2 Plus is free to download; StarMap 3D+ Plus costs $2.99 up front. StarMap 3D+ Plus sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Star Walk 2 Plus sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StarMap 3D+ Plus holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Star Walk 2 Plus has 96K ratings behind it against 6.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of StarMap 3D+ Plus's written reviews are positive against 70% of Star Walk 2 Plus's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StarMap 3D+ Plus ships an update every 5 weeks, Star Walk 2 Plus every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
StarMap 3D+ Plus versus Star Walk 2 Plus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarMap 3D+ PlusStar Walk 2 Plus
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (6.9K ratings) — better4.6 (96K ratings)
Positive reviews86.1% of reviews — better70.1% of reviews
Number of ratings6.9K96K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#124 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size576 MB373 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSanville SoftwareVito Technology Inc.

Customer experience

StarMap 3D+ Plus

All ratings6,821 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.5%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews753 reviews
Positive86.1%
Neutral5.0%
Negative8.9%

Star Walk 2 Plus

All ratings94,916 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral3.7%
Negative5.1%
Written reviews706 reviews
Positive70.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative25.4%

User reviews

StarMap 3D+ Plus

From 6.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Excellent star mapping and identification
  • 🔍 Detailed information on celestial objects
  • 👍 Easy to use and navigate
  • 🔭 Helpful for amateur astronomers
  • 🌍 Works well across locations

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional tracking/alignment issues
  • 🔍 Lack of detailed instructions/guides
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns regarding data collection
  • 🎨 Dislike for cartoon-style constellation art

Star Walk 2 Plus

From 96K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Informative and educational
  • 🔭 Accurate star/planet tracking
  • 🎨 Beautiful visuals and graphics
  • 🔊 Relaxing background music
  • 🌍 Useful for stargazing and astronomy

Room to improve

  • 💢 Excessive and intrusive ads in free version
  • 🤔 Confusing navigation and controls
  • 🧭 Inaccurate compass and location tracking
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases required for full features
  • 🔄 Frequent app crashes and freezes

Bugs and requests

StarMap 3D+ Plus

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes or freezes on launch
  • Incorrect moon and planet positioning
  • Inconsistent performance after updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • More detailed deep sky object representations
  • Improved tracking and compass accuracy
  • Addition of educational content and tutorials
  • Customization options for constellation art

Star Walk 2 Plus

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Compass and location tracking issues
  • Crashes and freezes when using certain features
  • Purchased upgrades not syncing across devices
  • Notifications not working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more detailed information about stars and constellations
  • Improve widget functionality and visibility of planets/satellites
  • Implement a dark mode for better visibility at night
  • Allow customization of the display and overlay options
  • Enhance the augmented reality experience

In-app purchases

1 purchases

StarMap 3D+ Plus

One-time1
  • More Stars$1.99
9 purchases

Star Walk 2 Plus

Subscriptions4
  • StarWalk2 Ads+ Monthly Premium7 Days trial2 variants$0.991 Month
  • StarWalk2 Ads+ Monthly Premium$0.991 Month
  • StarWalk2 Ads+ Yearly Premium7 Days trial$5.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • StarWalk2 Ads+ Yearly Premium$5.991 Year
One-time5
  • Discover Solar System Objects$0.99
  • Satellite Tracker in the Sky$0.99
  • Night Sky View: without Ads$2.99
Show 2 more
  • Night Sky Map: Limited Offer$5.99
  • Night Sky View: No Ads$8.99

Questions

Is StarMap 3D+ Plus free?
StarMap 3D+ Plus costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Star Walk 2 Plus free?
Star Walk 2 Plus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, StarMap 3D+ Plus or Star Walk 2 Plus?
StarMap 3D+ Plus is rated higher. StarMap 3D+ Plus averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while Star Walk 2 Plus averages 4.6 from 96K ratings.
Do StarMap 3D+ Plus or Star Walk 2 Plus have ads?
Star Walk 2 Plus shows ads; StarMap 3D+ Plus does not.
Which is updated more often, StarMap 3D+ Plus or Star Walk 2 Plus?
StarMap 3D+ Plus ships an update every 5 weeks, and Star Walk 2 Plus every 6 weeks. Most recently, StarMap 3D+ Plus was updated on November 5, 2026 and Star Walk 2 Plus on November 5, 2026.

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