# Distant Suns 5 vs SkyView® Lite

The clearest difference is price: SkyView® Lite at Free against Distant Suns 5's $2.99. SkyView® Lite also leads on ratings volume (19K vs 97) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). Distant Suns 5's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (76% vs 65%). On update cadence, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

SkyView® Lite is free to download; Distant Suns 5 costs $2.99 up front. Distant Suns 5 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SkyView® Lite sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SkyView® Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SkyView® Lite has 19K ratings behind it against 97, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Distant Suns 5's written reviews are positive against 65% of SkyView® Lite's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Distant Suns 5 ships an update every 5 months, SkyView® Lite every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Distant Suns 5 | SkyView® Lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/distant-suns-5/id363418936/reviews) | **[4.5 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyview-lite/id413936865/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 97 | **19K** |
| Positive reviews | **76.2% of reviews** | 64.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#44** |
| Size | 815 MB | 122 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® Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyview-lite/id413936865)

**Currently charting:** #44 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Identify stars, constellations, satellites, and more by simply pointing your device at the sky. This augmented reality app makes stargazing accessible to everyone, day or night. Explore celestial paths and even travel through time to view the sky on different dates.

**Highlights:** Identify stars, constellations, and satellites, Augmented Reality (AR) stargazing, Set reminders for celestial events, View sky paths for Sun and Moon, Time travel to view past/future skies, Capture and share sky images

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stargazing Music Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Brightest Satellites & Sightings | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Accurate star and planet tracking
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🔭 Helpful for learning about the night sky
- 💫 Engaging and educational for all ages
- 🌌 Realistic AR display of celestial objects

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compass/location issues causing inaccurate positioning
- 🔍 Limited free features, many paid upgrades
- 🤔 Confusing for some users to understand how it works
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes on some devices
- Outdated information on certain celestial objects
- Compatibility issues with older iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add more celestial objects like satellites, comets, and nebulae
- Improve compass calibration and location accuracy
- Provide more detailed information and facts about stars/planets
- Integrate with virtual reality for immersive stargazing experience
- Add reminders for upcoming astronomical events


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Distant Suns 5 free?

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

### Is SkyView® Lite free?

SkyView® Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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

SkyView® Lite is rated higher. Distant Suns 5 averages 4.3 out of 5 from 97 ratings, while SkyView® Lite averages 4.5 from 19K ratings.

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

SkyView® Lite shows ads; Distant Suns 5 does not.

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

Distant Suns 5 ships an update every 5 months, and SkyView® Lite every 2 months. Most recently, Distant Suns 5 was updated on October 1, 2026 and SkyView® Lite on October 3, 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.*