LunaSolCal vs Polar Scope Align
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LunaSolCal
This app calculates precise times for sun and moon events, including sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset, for any location and date. It also provides detailed astronomical data and tracks celestial movements. View daily information in the notification center.
- Sunrise and sunset times
- Moonrise and moonset times
- Day length calculation
- Moon phase tracking
- Twilight times (civil, nautical, astronomical)
- Solar and lunar eclipse dates
- Location-based calculations via GPS or city database
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Calculate times of sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset and more for your location at any given date. The following data is calculated: - Sunrise - Solar noon - Sunset - Day length - Equation of time - Declination - Civil twilight (Dawn/Dusk) - Nautical twilight (Dawn/Dusk) - Astronomical twilight (Dawn/Dusk) - Azimuth at sunrise and sunset - Altitude during solar noon - Sun track - Date and time of Seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) - Solstice and Equinox dates - Date and time of next solar eclipse - Moonrise - Moon transit - Moonset - Moon phase - Distance - Declination - Date and time of next new moon - Date and time of next full moon - Azimuth at moonrise and moonset - Altitude during moon transit - Moon track - Date and time of next lunar eclipse Some information for the current day can also be viewed in the notification center. To specify the location of interest either get the position from the built-in GPS or Wifi receiver or select a city from a database with over 400,000 cities in over 200 countries.
Polar Scope Align
This app calculates the precise position of celestial poles in your telescope's polar scope reticle for accurate alignment. It supports a wide range of reticles and corrects for atmospheric refraction, offering precision even at lower latitudes. Features include night mode, moon phase, and astronomical databases.
- Polaris/Sigma Octantis position calculation
- Atmospheric refraction correction
- Reticle centering error correction
- Supports numerous reticle types
- Red-color night mode
- Moon phase and astronomical databases
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Polar Scope Align is a free, ad-supported polar alignment app for iPhone and iPad. It calculates the position of Polaris or σ Octantis in your polar scope reticle for your location, date and time, helping you get a quick and accurate polar alignment with an equatorial mount. POLAR SCOPE ALIGNMENT • Accurate Polaris and Sigma Octantis position for your date and location • Atmospheric refraction correction for better accuracy, especially at lower latitudes - readings may differ slightly from simpler apps that skip this correction, but will agree with precise sources (USNO, scientific software) • Automatic time and location • Manual location support • Reticle centering-error measurement and correction • Zero-position help for common Celestron / Sky-Watcher / Orion style reticles • Full red night-mode interface SUPPORTED RETICLES Polar Scope Align supports 35+ polar scope and finder reticle types, including: iOptron, Astro-Physics RAPAS & PASILL, Takahashi (EM-10/11/200/400/500, NJP, PM-1, P2-Z), Sky-Watcher / Orion (including EQ6/AZ-EQ and Star Adventurer), Celestron, Meade, EXOS2, Bresser, Vixen (Atlux/SX/SXD/SXP/AXD/GP/GP-DX, Polarie), Astrotrac, Losmandy, Kenko, Avalon, Konus, Telrad, Rigel QuikFinder, and several older polar finders (Tuthill, Explore Scientific, Meade 9x60, Vixen Polaris, Celestron 7x50, Carton Optical). OBSERVING TOOLS The free version also includes: • Moon phase • Messier, Caldwell and bright-star database • DSS image downloads for included database objects • Saved, editable and printable DSO lists • 8 astronomy calculators for observing and imaging • Sample Pro tools available from Settings, including aurora forecast • iOptron WiFi Connect - report mount status, set mount Time/Date/Location LOOKING FOR ALIGNMENT WITHOUT A POLAR SCOPE? Polar Scope Align Pro adds the advanced tools many users search for: • Daytime / No Polar Scope Alignment • Camera Azimuth Calibration using the Sun, Moon, planets or bright stars • Laser / Hop Align for night alignment when Polaris is blocked • Push To / manual GoTo for non-GoTo telescopes • Live sky maps for Daytime Alignment, Laser / Hop Align, Push To and Hop To • Full 22,000+ object DSO database • Xasteria astro weather, aurora, satellite passes and widgets • 30+ calculators • Bubble level, compass and iOptron WiFi mount control • Apple Watch companion app • No ads If you only need accurate polar-scope alignment, this free version is a capable tool. If you want alignment without a polar scope, observing planning, weather and field tools, Pro is the complete version.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Polar Scope Align at Free against LunaSolCal's $4.99. LunaSolCal's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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
Polar Scope Align is free to download; LunaSolCal costs $4.99 up front. Polar Scope Align sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. LunaSolCal asks for nothing beyond the download.
LunaSolCal holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LunaSolCal has 1.2K ratings behind it against 171, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of LunaSolCal's written reviews are positive against 91% of Polar Scope Align's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LunaSolCal | Polar Scope Align |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (1.2K ratings) — better | 4.7 (171 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 95.5% of reviews — better | 91.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.2K — better | 171 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 79 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Volker Voecking Software Engineering | Dimitrios Kechagias |
Customer experience
LunaSolCal
Polar Scope Align
User reviews
LunaSolCal
From 1.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great app
- 🚀 Accurate and reliable information
- 💡 Useful for photography and planning
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 👍 Comprehensive data and features
Room to improve
- 🐛 Notifications/alarms not working consistently
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔧 Place/location selection could be improved
Polar Scope Align
From 171 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎯 Extensive reticle options for various telescope mounts
- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 🆓 Powerful free version with no popup ads
- 🔴 Red night vision mode preserves dark adaptation
- 📍 Accurate GPS-based location detection
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inconsistent accuracy with metal mounts/tripods
- 📱 Font size too small for comfortable reading
- 🎯 Center dot in reticle obscures precise alignment
- 📍 Limited effectiveness for southern hemisphere (Sigma Octantis is dim)
- ❓ Steep learning curve for beginners without proper guidance
Bugs and requests
LunaSolCal
Reported bugs
2 issues- Notifications not working properly
- Crashes when using map layer select
Requested features
3 requests- Add lockscreen widget
- Implement automatic light/dark mode switching
- Integrate with calendar for event planning
Polar Scope Align
Reported bugs
6 issues- Date and time dial do not match correctly
- GMT and LST times appear to be switched
- App crashes or fails to initialize for some users
- Alignment accuracy varies inconsistently between sessions
- Location detection issues with cell tower vs GPS
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- Reticle display not rendering properly in some cases
Requested features
7 requests- Online video tutorials demonstrating all features
- Remove or reduce center dot size in reticle
- Larger, bolder font options for better readability
- Brighter star options for southern hemisphere alignment
- Smaller ad button or ad customization
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- Better beginner onboarding and instructions
- More robust alternative alignment methods for southern hemisphere
In-app purchases
LunaSolCal
No in-app purchases
Polar Scope Align
- Tip 1x$0.99
- Tip 4x$3.99
- Tip 10x$9.99
Questions
Is LunaSolCal free?
Is Polar Scope Align free?
Which has better reviews, LunaSolCal or Polar Scope Align?
Do LunaSolCal or Polar Scope Align have ads?
Which is updated more often, LunaSolCal or Polar Scope Align?
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