StarMap 3D+ Plus vs Classic Sky Map 2
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
Classic Sky Map 2
Explore the cosmos with an intuitive and beautiful sky map. Easily identify stars, planets, and constellations by simply pointing your device at the sky. Track celestial events and understand astronomical movements with time-lapse features.
- Live sky tracking
- Interactive earth map
- Time-lapse sky simulation
- Beautiful constellation art
- Celestial object search
- Night vision mode
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Ever wonder why so many astronomy apps are so hard to use? We do. So we made Classic Sky Map simple and intuitive enough for anyone to enjoy. The user interface is beautiful and straightforward, the controls are easy to use and most settings are just a tap or two away. Classic Sky Map shows you thousands of the brightest stars, the Moon, planets, constellations, meteor showers and more. And it's painless. Free Features: - Live Tracking. Simply point your device toward the stars and the sky map aligns itself automatically, showing you the portion of the sky at which you are looking. If your device has a compass, Classic Sky Map uses it automatically. If not, you can tell Classic Sky Map where the North is, and it aligns the sky map accordingly. - Live Earth Map. Quickly jump from one city to another by tapping on a map that shows the Earth's day and night boundary in real-time. If you allow it, Classic Sky Map can detect your current location automatically. You can also create custom viewing locations in seconds. - Fast Forward and Rewind. Accelerate or reverse time to understand how stars and planets appear to move in the sky over a longer period of time. - Beautiful Constellation Images. We put a tremendous amount of work into creating beautiful constellation images inspired by antique engravings and aligning them precisely with the stars. - Sharing. Share snapshots of the sky map with your friends at the tap of a button. - Quick Help. Should you have any questions while using Classic Sky Map, a concise, illustrated user guide will help answer them quickly. Full Version Features (In-App Purchase): - Interactive Search. Simply type in a search field, pick an object from a list of matches, then point your device toward the sky. An arrow appears and guides you until you are pointing your device toward the object you selected. If the object is not yet visible in the sky, its next rise time is displayed. - Sky Events. Classic Sky Map shows a list of current sky events such as meteor showers, eclipses and more and helps you quickly locate them in the sky. - Night Vision. Classic Sky Map's night vision mode helps minimize loss of dark adaptation. And we went the extra mile to make it look great in cyan, orange or red. - Extra Information. Tooltips and an information panel show details about stars, planets, the Moon, meteor showers and more. - Personalization Options. Personalize your sky map by turning various guides and display options on or off. Have fun!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Classic Sky Map 2 at Free against StarMap 3D+ Plus's $2.99. StarMap 3D+ Plus's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 16 months) and chart position (#147 vs unranked). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Classic Sky Map 2 is free to download; StarMap 3D+ Plus costs $2.99 up front. StarMap 3D+ Plus sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Classic Sky Map 2 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for StarMap 3D+ Plus against 4.7 for Classic Sky Map 2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6.8K and 8.9K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of StarMap 3D+ Plus's written reviews are positive against 76% of Classic Sky Map 2's.
StarMap 3D+ Plus ships an update every 5 weeks, Classic Sky Map 2 every 16 months. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.
| Parameter | StarMap 3D+ Plus | Classic Sky Map 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (6.8K ratings) — better | 4.7 (8.9K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 86.0% of reviews — better | 75.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6.8K | 8.9K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 16 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #147 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 576 MB | 69 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sanville Software | X04 Studios Inc. |
Customer experience
StarMap 3D+ Plus
Classic Sky Map 2
User reviews
StarMap 3D+ Plus
From 6.8K App Store ratingsWhat 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
Classic Sky Map 2
From 8.9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Straightforward and not cluttered with ads
- 🌟 Excellent for stargazing and learning about the night sky
- 🌍 Helpful ground references for locating celestial objects
- 🎓 Great educational tool for young astronomers
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional calibration and alignment issues
- 🔍 Limited information on stars beyond just names
- 🌌 Can't see below the horizon
- 🗺️ Clumsy and unintuitive navigation at times
- 🔍 Small viewing area that makes it hard to see all the stars
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
Classic Sky Map 2
Reported bugs
3 issues- Compass bearing is inaccurate
- Active tracking no longer works
- App becomes unusable after certain updates
Requested features
4 requests- Add information on comets, meteor showers, and other space events
- Provide an option to only show visible stars
- Improve search functionality to find planets, moons, and other objects not currently in the sky
- Offer a live tracking mode that updates in real-time
In-app purchases
StarMap 3D+ Plus
- More Stars$1.99
Classic Sky Map 2
- Full Version$2.99
Questions
Is StarMap 3D+ Plus free?
Is Classic Sky Map 2 free?
Which has better reviews, StarMap 3D+ Plus or Classic Sky Map 2?
Do StarMap 3D+ Plus or Classic Sky Map 2 have ads?
Which is updated more often, StarMap 3D+ Plus or Classic Sky Map 2?
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