Comparison

SkyView® Lite vs Star Map

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

Explore the night sky with this stargazing app. Point your device to the sky to identify thousands of stars, planets, constellations, and more. It uses your device's sensors and GPS to provide an accurate celestial view.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality sky view
  • Identify stars, planets, and constellations
  • Uses device sensors and GPS
  • Explore thousands of celestial objects
  • Track ISS and satellites
Features
Read full description

Star Map is an exquisite stargazing app enabling you to explore the night sky through the screen of your device. Make an effortless journey through thousands of stars, comets, and constellations. All you have to do is point your device to the sky! Star Map taps your device’s sensors and the GPS to determine the exact position of stars, planets, constellations, comets, ISS, satellites, star clusters, nebulae and meteor showers in the night sky.

Screenshots

SkyView® Lite4 screens
Star Map4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SkyView® Lite at 65% against Star Map's 20%. SkyView® Lite also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.2) and ratings volume (19K vs 6). Star Map's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On price 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. Star Map asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SkyView® Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SkyView® Lite has 19K ratings behind it against 6, 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 20% of Star Map's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SkyView® Lite ships an update every 2 months, Star Map every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
SkyView® Lite versus Star Map: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkyView® LiteStar Map
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (19K ratings) — better2.2 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews64.6% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings19K — better6
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#69 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size122 MB74 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTerminal Eleven LLCGUANGDONG WORDWORLD SCIENCE & EDUCATION CO., LTD.

Customer experience

SkyView® Lite

All ratings18,744 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral3.3%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews728 reviews
Positive64.6%
Neutral7.1%
Negative28.3%

Star Map

All ratings6 ratings
Positive16.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative60.0%

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

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

SkyView® Lite

One-time2
  • Stargazing Music Pack$0.99
  • Brightest Satellites & Sightings$0.99
None

Star Map

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SkyView® Lite free?
SkyView® Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Star Map free?
Star Map is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SkyView® Lite or Star Map?
SkyView® Lite is rated higher. SkyView® Lite averages 4.5 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while Star Map averages 2.2 from 6 ratings.
Do SkyView® Lite or Star Map have ads?
SkyView® Lite shows ads; Star Map does not.
Which is updated more often, SkyView® Lite or Star Map?
SkyView® Lite ships an update every 2 months, and Star Map every 3 days. Most recently, SkyView® Lite was updated on September 26, 2026 and Star Map on June 1, 2026.

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