# ioda vs SynScan

The clearest difference is rating: SynScan at 3.3 against ioda's 3.0. SynScan also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (8 vs 2). ioda's advantage is review sentiment (33% vs 22%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SynScan holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 8 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of ioda's written reviews are positive against 22% of SynScan's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ioda ships an update every 5 months, SynScan every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ioda | SynScan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ioda/id412436864/reviews) | **[3.3 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synscan/id1243086631/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **8** |
| Positive reviews | **33.3% of reviews** | 22.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 64 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Guy Barrand](https://appshunter.io/developer/412436867) | [Astropower Technology Co. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1787940478) |

## What reviewers say

### ioda

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ioda/id412436864)

This scientific application allows users to read and visualize data from various file formats commonly used in astronomy and high-energy physics. It supports formats like FITS, ROOT, HDF5, JPG, and FOG, and can execute specific script files.

**Highlights:** Read FITS, ROOT, HDF5, JPG, and FOG files, Browse and visualize data, Execute .kumac files, Includes gopaw core, Supports various scientific data schemas

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### SynScan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synscan/id1243086631)

Control motorized telescope mounts for celestial object tracking and exploration. Features include GOTO functionality, object catalogs, and gamepad navigation. Ideal for novice users with alt-azimuth mounts.

**Highlights:** Control telescope mount slew, align, GOTO, and track, Point and Track celestial objects, Support gamepad navigation, Browse and save celestial object catalogs, Third-party app integration (ASCOM, SkySafari, Stellarium), Emulator mount for testing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ioda free?

ioda is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SynScan free?

SynScan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ioda or SynScan?

SynScan is rated higher. ioda averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while SynScan averages 3.3 from 8 ratings.

### Do ioda or SynScan have ads?

Neither ioda nor SynScan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ioda or SynScan?

ioda ships an update every 5 months, and SynScan every 2 months. Most recently, ioda was updated on September 27, 2026 and SynScan on September 16, 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.*