# Distant Suns 5 vs SkyView®

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SkyView® at none against Distant Suns 5's 1. SkyView® also leads on ratings volume (7.7K vs 97) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). Distant Suns 5's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Distant Suns 5 costs $2.99 and SkyView® $2.99 up front. Distant Suns 5 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SkyView® asks for nothing beyond the download.

SkyView® holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SkyView® has 7.7K ratings behind it against 97, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 77% and 77% positive.

Distant Suns 5 ships an update every 5 months, SkyView® every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Distant Suns 5 | SkyView® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.3 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/distant-suns-5/id363418936/reviews) | **[4.6 (7.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyview/id404990064/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 97 | **7.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 76.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#2** |
| Size | 815 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mike Smithwick](https://appshunter.io/developer/294198918) | [Terminal Eleven LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/378238417) |

## What reviewers say

### Distant Suns 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/distant-suns-5/id363418936)

Explore the cosmos with a realistic and user-friendly astronomy app. Discover constellations, planets, and celestial events with detailed information and stunning visuals. Perfect for both casual stargazers and serious astronomers.

**Highlights:** Realistic night sky display, View from Earth or solar system, Over 18 million stars, Integrated NASA space events, Stories behind constellations, Night vision color mode, Hubble Space Telescope images

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hubble Guide Star Catalog | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent astronomy app
- 🔭 Comprehensive features for stargazing
- 🌍 Helpful for learning about the night sky
- 🔍 Useful for planning observing sessions
- 🌌 Stunning visuals and graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs in recent updates
- 🤔 Confusing or unintuitive interface changes
- 📱 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🔍 Difficulty finding and selecting objects
- 🔍 Missing or inaccurate information

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when accessing preferences
- Inability to sync with iCloud
- Unresponsive or freezing app
- Incorrect or outdated information displayed
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS devices

**Requested features**

- Add more detailed information on celestial objects
- Improve compass and tracking functionality
- Provide better support for astrophotography
- Introduce a dark mode for night viewing
- Add more customization options for the user interface


### SkyView®

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

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Paid · Education, #18 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 Distant Suns 5 free?

Distant Suns 5 costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is SkyView® free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Distant Suns 5 or SkyView®?

SkyView® is rated higher. Distant Suns 5 averages 4.3 out of 5 from 97 ratings, while SkyView® averages 4.6 from 7.7K ratings.

### Do Distant Suns 5 or SkyView® have ads?

Neither Distant Suns 5 nor SkyView® shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Distant Suns 5 or SkyView®?

Distant Suns 5 ships an update every 5 months, and SkyView® every 4 months. Most recently, Distant Suns 5 was updated on October 14, 2026 and SkyView® on October 14, 2026.

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