Comparison

SkyView® Lite vs Star Map Tracker

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

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
Currently charting
Read full description

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!

About

Star Map Tracker

Explore the night sky with this augmented reality stargazing app. Identify stars, constellations, planets, and galaxies in real-time. It provides detailed information and helps you locate celestial objects.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality celestial body view
  • Identification of over 3,000 stars
  • Depiction of 88 constellations
  • Real-time celestial object tracking
  • Solar system object identification
  • Compass calibration
Features
Read full description

Star Map Tracker is an impressive stargazing augmented reality app boasting a database of over 3,000 stars and constellations. This app not only provides guidance through the vast majority of known stars but also furnishes essential information such as right ascension, declination, azimuth, elevation, and more. Whether you aim to align your telescope or simply desire to point your device at the sky for star, constellation, nebula, galaxy, and solar system object identification, this app caters to your needs, functioning as a proficient star finder and augmented reality map of celestial bodies, offering real-time information about them. Immerse yourself in a captivating night stars safari by finding an open space, taking a stroll, and lifting your device to behold the mesmerizing night sky view. The Star Map app serves as an exceptional tracker for all celestial objects, essentially placing a sky object seeker right in your pocket. Key Features: - Augmented reality view of celestial bodies - 88 constellations depicted with their shapes - Over 3,000 actual stars accompanied by detailed descriptions - Ability to search by star/constellation name, HD, HR, HIP - Real-time position of stars/constellations in the sky - Inclusion of the entire solar system (consisting of 9 planets, Sun, and Moon) - Realistic lighting, shadows, and planet textures - Milky Way galaxy background enriched with precise spatial positioning - Compass calibration facilitated using the moon, sun, or cardinal points In-App Purchase: - Enhanced access to names and information of over 3,000 stars (by default, only star information for zodiac constellations is available) - Expanded access to 74 constellations (only 14 are available by default: 12 Zodiac constellations, Ursa Minor, and Ursa Major) - Detailed inclusions of the solar system (encompassing 9 planets; Moon and Sun are available by default)

Screenshots

SkyView® Lite4 screens
Star Map Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SkyView® Lite at 75% against Star Map Tracker's 29%. SkyView® Lite also leads on ratings volume (19K vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). Star Map Tracker's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SkyView® Lite sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Star Map Tracker sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Star Map Tracker holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SkyView® Lite has 19K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of SkyView® Lite's written reviews are positive against 29% of Star Map Tracker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SkyView® Lite ships an update every 2 months, Star Map Tracker every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
SkyView® Lite versus Star Map Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkyView® LiteStar Map Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (19K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews — better28.6% of reviews
Number of ratings19K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#92 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size122 MB107 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTerminal Eleven LLCYuriy Kvasha

Customer experience

SkyView® Lite

All ratings18,744 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral3.3%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews1,749 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral6.1%
Negative18.9%

Star Map Tracker

Written reviews91 reviews
Positive28.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative57.1%

User reviews

SkyView® Lite

From 19K App Store ratings

What 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

Star Map Tracker

From 1 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • ✨ Visually appealing design
  • 🌟 Shows constellations
  • 🔭 Useful for beginners
  • 💡 VR feature is good

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inaccurate star/planet positions
  • 🧭 Compass calibration issues
  • 💰 Many features locked behind paywall
  • 💸 Not worth the premium cost
  • 🚫 Free version is too limited

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

Star Map Tracker

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • Map is disoriented
  • Stars and planets do not track movement
  • Calibration does not stick
  • App freezes
  • App always points north
Show 6 more
  • Compass is off by degrees
  • Stars constantly shifting
  • App shows incorrect directions
  • GPS is way off
  • App doesn't work on iPhone X
  • AR is useless as camera can't see stars

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add search functionality for stars
  • Include planets in the free version
  • Improve compass synchronization
  • Add language options
  • Show horizon line
Show 2 more
  • Display star sizes/visibility
  • Provide more detailed information on planets

In-app purchases

2 purchases

SkyView® Lite

One-time2
  • Stargazing Music Pack$0.99
  • Brightest Satellites & Sightings$0.99
3 purchases

Star Map Tracker

One-time3
  • Stars & Constellations$1.99
  • Planets$1.99
  • Premium$2.99

Questions

Is SkyView® Lite free?
SkyView® Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Star Map Tracker free?
Star Map Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SkyView® Lite or Star Map Tracker?
Star Map Tracker is rated higher. SkyView® Lite averages 4.5 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while Star Map Tracker averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do SkyView® Lite or Star Map Tracker have ads?
SkyView® Lite shows ads; Star Map Tracker does not.
Which is updated more often, SkyView® Lite or Star Map Tracker?
SkyView® Lite ships an update every 2 months, and Star Map Tracker every 5 months. Most recently, SkyView® Lite was updated on October 28, 2026 and Star Map Tracker on October 24, 2026.

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