# SkyView® vs Star Walk 2 Plus

The clearest difference is price: Star Walk 2 Plus at Free against SkyView®'s $2.99. Star Walk 2 Plus also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (95K vs 7.7K). SkyView®'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 15) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, review sentiment, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Star Walk 2 Plus is free to download; SkyView® costs $2.99 up front. Star Walk 2 Plus sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. SkyView® asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for SkyView® against 4.6 for Star Walk 2 Plus. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Star Walk 2 Plus has 95K ratings behind it against 7.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of SkyView®'s written reviews are positive against 70% of Star Walk 2 Plus's.

SkyView® ships an update every 4 months, Star Walk 2 Plus every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SkyView® | Star Walk 2 Plus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (7.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyview/id404990064/reviews) | [4.6 (95K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-walk-2-plus-live-sky-map/id1112481571/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 7.7K | **95K** |
| Positive reviews | **71.9% of reviews** | 69.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 112 MB | 373 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Terminal Eleven LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/378238417) | [Vito Technology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/289641503) |

## What reviewers say

### SkyView®

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

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Paid · Education, #44 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


### Star Walk 2 Plus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-walk-2-plus-live-sky-map/id1112481571)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| StarWalk2 Ads+ Monthly Premium | $0.99 | per month |
| StarWalk2 Ads+ Monthly Premium | $0.99 | per month |
| StarWalk2 Ads+ Yearly Premium | $5.99 | per year |
| StarWalk2 Ads+ Yearly Premium | $5.99 | per year |
| StarWalk2 Ads+ Yearly Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Constellations Encyclopedia | $0.99 | one-time |
| Discover Solar System Objects | $0.99 | one-time |
| Explore Planet Finder 3D | $0.99 | one-time |
| Satellite Tracker in the Sky | $0.99 | one-time |
| Night Sky View: without Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Night Sky Map: Limited Offer | $5.99 | one-time |
| Night Sky View: No Ads | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💢 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SkyView® free?

SkyView® costs $2.99, with no 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, SkyView® or Star Walk 2 Plus?

SkyView® and Star Walk 2 Plus are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7.7K and 95K ratings respectively.

### Do SkyView® or Star Walk 2 Plus have ads?

Star Walk 2 Plus shows ads; SkyView® does not.

### Which is updated more often, SkyView® or Star Walk 2 Plus?

SkyView® ships an update every 4 months, and Star Walk 2 Plus every 6 weeks. Most recently, SkyView® was updated on September 24, 2026 and Star Walk 2 Plus on September 25, 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.*