SkyView® Lite vs MeteorActive
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SkyView® Lite
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.
- 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
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SkyView® Lite brings stargazing to everyone! Simply point your iPhone, iPad, or iPod at the sky to identify stars, constellations, satellites, and more! Downloaded over 40 million times. If you like our lite version of SkyView then you'll love our full version! It includes: a convenient Apple Watch app, a Today Widget displaying tonight's brightest objects, ALL in-app purchases offered in this version, thousands more objects to discover, and more! App Store Best of 2012 App Store Rewind 2011 -- Best Education App “If you've ever wanted to know what you're looking at in the night sky, this app is the perfect stargazer's companion.” – CNET "If you’ve ever been looking for a stargazing app for your iPhone, then this [is] definitely the one to get." – AppAdvice “SkyView is an Augmented Reality app that lets you see just what delights the sky has to offer.” – 148Apps Editor’s Choice You don't need to be an astronomer to find stars or constellations in the sky, just open SkyView® Lite and let it guide you to their location and identify them. SkyView® Lite is a beautiful and intuitive stargazing app that uses your camera to precisely spot and identify celestial objects in sky, day or night. Find your favorite constellations as they fade in and out while you scan across the sky, locate the Moon, discover distant galaxies, and witness satellite fly-bys. Features: • Simple: Point your device at the sky to identify galaxies, stars, constellations and satellites (including the ISS and Hubble) passing overhead at your location. • Sightings: set reminders for celestial events and plan an evening stargazing & spotting satellites. • Augmented Reality (AR): Use your camera to spot objects in the sky, day or night. • Sky Paths: Follow the daily sky tracks for the Sun and Moon to see their exact locations in the sky on any date & time. • Time Travel: Jump to the future or the past and see the sky on different dates and times. • Social: Capture and share beautiful images with friends and family on social networks. • Mobile: WiFi is NOT required (does not require a data signal or GPS to function). Take it camping, boating, or even flying! • Supports Space Navigator™ binoculars, spotting scope, and telescopes. What a fun way to teach yourself, your children, your students, or your friends about our wonderful universe!
MeteorActive
Get accurate meteor shower forecasts based on your location, moon phase, and light pollution. Discover major events, upcoming nights, and hourly estimates for the best viewing opportunities.
- Major events calendar
- Upcoming nights predictions
- Hour-by-hour estimates
- Meteor showers reference
- Location-based accuracy
- Moon interference calculation
- Light pollution consideration
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The most accurate meteor activity forecast • Major events calendar • Upcoming nights predictions • Hour-by-hour estimates • Meteor showers reference Meteor activity varies greatly from one night to another. Most of the time you can expect to see 3-15 meteors per hour, but several times per year this number could rise to 90, or even more! The MeteorActive app uses the latest scientific findings and cutting edge technology to calculate how many meteors you can see at given time. It takes into account your geographical location, meteoroid stream orbits, moon interference and light pollution to find the most spectacular events for you. Clear skies!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MeteorActive at none against SkyView® Lite's 2. MeteorActive also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (89% vs 65%). SkyView® Lite's advantage is chart position (#143 vs unranked) and ratings volume (19K vs 2.3K). On price, 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
Both are free to download. SkyView® Lite sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. MeteorActive asks for nothing beyond the download.
MeteorActive holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SkyView® Lite has 19K ratings behind it against 2.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of SkyView® Lite's written reviews are positive against 89% of MeteorActive's.
SkyView® Lite ships an update every 2 months, MeteorActive every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SkyView® Lite | MeteorActive |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (19K ratings) | 4.8 (2.3K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | 88.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 19K — better | 2.3K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #143 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 122 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Terminal Eleven LLC | Alexander Vasenin |
Customer experience
SkyView® Lite
MeteorActive
User reviews
SkyView® Lite
From 19K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌟 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
Room to improve
- 🐛 Compass/location issues causing inaccurate positioning
- 🔍 Limited free features, many paid upgrades
- 🤔 Confusing for some users to understand how it works
- 🔋 High battery consumption
MeteorActive
From 2.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌟 Amazing app with great features
- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 🔭 Detailed and accurate information on meteor showers
- 💫 Stunning visualizations and animations
- 🆓 Free and ad-free app
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🕰️ Missing notifications for upcoming events
- 🗺️ Lacking location-based features
- 🔍 Could use more detailed instructions and explanations
Bugs and requests
SkyView® Lite
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes or freezes on some devices
- Outdated information on certain celestial objects
- Compatibility issues with older iOS versions
Requested features
5 requests- 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
MeteorActive
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes when trying to access certain features
- Charts and visualizations not updating correctly
- Inconsistent performance on older devices
Requested features
4 requests- Add notification system for meteor showers
- Integrate with calendar app for easy scheduling
- Provide more location-specific data and recommendations
- Expand coverage to include more minor meteor showers
In-app purchases
SkyView® Lite
- Stargazing Music Pack$0.99
- Brightest Satellites & Sightings$0.99
MeteorActive
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SkyView® Lite free?
Is MeteorActive free?
Which has better reviews, SkyView® Lite or MeteorActive?
Do SkyView® Lite or MeteorActive have ads?
Which is updated more often, SkyView® Lite or MeteorActive?
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