# SkyView® Lite vs Cosmic Atlas

The clearest difference is rating: SkyView® Lite at 4.5 against Cosmic Atlas's 3.7. SkyView® Lite also leads on ratings volume (19K vs 65) and review sentiment (75% vs 59%). Cosmic Atlas's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SkyView® Lite sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Cosmic Atlas sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SkyView® Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SkyView® Lite has 19K ratings behind it against 65, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of SkyView® Lite's written reviews are positive against 59% of Cosmic Atlas's.

SkyView® Lite ships an update every 2 months, Cosmic Atlas every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SkyView® Lite | Cosmic Atlas |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyview-lite/id413936865/reviews)** | [3.7 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cosmic-atlas/id1305522465/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **19K** | 65 |
| Positive reviews | **74.9% of reviews** | 58.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#62** | — |
| Size | 122 MB | 147 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Terminal Eleven LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/378238417) | [Cosmic Atlas LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1503373138) |

## What reviewers say

### SkyView® Lite

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

**Currently charting:** #62 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


### Cosmic Atlas

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cosmic-atlas/id1305522465)

Explore a vast, scientifically rendered universe with lifelike exoplanets and detailed celestial bodies. Navigate through trillions of light years with multiple exploration modes, from first-person flight to telescopic identification. Discover and learn about thousands of planets beyond our solar system.

**Highlights:** Explore 5,000+ lifelike exoplanets, Navigate 180 trillion sq light years, Six interstellar travel modes, First-person planet view, Scientifically accurate renderings, Telescope identification mode, Detailed planet information panels

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Features | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Stunning visuals and graphics
- 🌌 Immersive exploration experience
- 📚 Great for learning about the universe
- 💡 Unique and original app
- 🚀 Fast and smooth performance (when working)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and errors
- 💸 Paywalls limit free version
- 🤔 Confusing in-app purchases
- 📱 Text size difficult to read
- 😵 Over-the-top and irritating graphics

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes upon opening
- Kicked out of the game
- Cannot connect to server
- Error that doesn't let user in
- Planets brighten up unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Add more solar system objects
- Fix Haumea's shape
- Add more candidates, dwarf moons, hypothetical objects, spacecrafts, anomalies, random asteroids, meteoroids, and comets
- Add ability to go into planets and see a preview
- Add more galaxies to travel to


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SkyView® Lite free?

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

### Is Cosmic Atlas free?

Cosmic Atlas is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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

SkyView® Lite is rated higher. SkyView® Lite averages 4.5 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while Cosmic Atlas averages 3.7 from 65 ratings.

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

SkyView® Lite shows ads; Cosmic Atlas does not.

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

SkyView® Lite ships an update every 2 months, and Cosmic Atlas every 3 weeks. Most recently, SkyView® Lite was updated on November 7, 2026 and Cosmic Atlas on November 4, 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.*