# SkyView® vs SkyView® Lite

The clearest difference is price: SkyView® Lite at Free against SkyView®'s $2.99. SkyView®'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

SkyView® Lite is free to download; SkyView® costs $2.99 up front. SkyView® Lite sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. SkyView® asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for SkyView® against 4.5 for SkyView® Lite. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.7K and 19K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of SkyView®'s written reviews are positive against 65% of SkyView® Lite's.

SkyView® ships an update every 4 months, SkyView® Lite every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | SkyView® | SkyView® Lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (7.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyview/id404990064/reviews)** | [4.5 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyview-lite/id413936865/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 7.7K | **19K** |
| Positive reviews | **71.9% of reviews** | 64.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#3** | #153 |
| Size | 112 MB | 122 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Terminal Eleven LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/378238417) | [Terminal Eleven LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/378238417) |

## What reviewers say

### SkyView®

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

**Currently charting:** #3 Top Paid · Education, #75 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


### SkyView® Lite

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

**Currently charting:** #153 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 SkyView® free?

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

### Is SkyView® Lite free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SkyView® or SkyView® Lite?

SkyView® is rated higher. SkyView® averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7.7K ratings, while SkyView® Lite averages 4.5 from 19K ratings.

### Do SkyView® or SkyView® Lite have ads?

SkyView® Lite shows ads; SkyView® does not.

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

SkyView® ships an update every 4 months, and SkyView® Lite every 2 months. Most recently, SkyView® was updated on September 24, 2026 and SkyView® Lite on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, SkyView® or SkyView® Lite?

SkyView® currently peaks at #3 in the App Store charts, and SkyView® Lite at #153. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*