SkyView® Lite vs Star Guide
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!
Star Guide
Transform your device into a real-time planetarium to explore the night sky. Identify stars and planets, and plan optimal viewing times. Experience celestial objects in 3D and preview future or past sky conditions from any location.
- Real-time star and planet identification
- Augmented Reality sky overlay
- 3D celestial object visualization
- Best viewing time notifications
- Sky time travel (past/future)
- Location-based sky preview
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Turn your phone into a real‑time planetarium. Star Guide helps you explore the night sky, identify stars and planets, and plan the best moments to look up—whether you’re stargazing tonight or previewing the sky months from now. Point your device upward to see what’s above you, switch on Augmented Reality (AR) for an immersive sky overlay, and explore celestial objects in 3D. Want to plan ahead? Travel through time to see how the sky changes in the past or future, and preview the view from different locations around the world. Key features • Live star finder & planetarium view Explore the night sky based on your position and direction. • Augmented Reality mode Overlay stars and planets on your camera view for easy identification. • 3D stars & planets Visualize objects in a more immersive way and explore in 3D. • Best viewing time notifications Get alerts for great stargazing moments and upcoming viewing opportunities. • 24‑hour sky motion preview See how a star moves and circles across the sky over a full day. • Past & future sky “time travel” Rewind to previous nights or fast‑forward to plan future observations. • Different locations Change your location to preview the sky from other places—perfect for trips. Great for • Casual stargazing from your backyard • Learning the night sky with an interactive planetarium • Planning the best time to spot planets • Exploring how the sky looks from other cities and countries Permissions (why they may be requested) • Location: improves sky accuracy for your current position • Camera: required for AR mode • Notifications: optional alerts for best viewing times Download Star Guide and start exploring the sky—right from your pocket.
Screenshots
Verdict
SkyView® Lite and Star Guide both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of SkyView® Lite's written reviews are positive against 27% of Star Guide's. SkyView® Lite also leads on chart position (#58 vs unranked) and ratings volume (19K vs 4.3K). Star Guide's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 and Star Guide sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for SkyView® Lite against 4.5 for Star Guide. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19K and 4.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of SkyView® Lite's written reviews are positive against 27% of Star Guide's.
SkyView® Lite ships an update every 2 months, Star Guide every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SkyView® Lite | Star Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (19K ratings) | 4.5 (4.3K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better | 26.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 19K — better | 4.3K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #58 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.5 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 122 MB | 220 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Terminal Eleven LLC | Star register |
Customer experience
SkyView® Lite
Star Guide
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 Guide
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SkyView® Lite
- Stargazing Music Pack$0.99
- Brightest Satellites & Sightings$0.99
Star Guide
- Weekly$1.997 Days
- Star-Registration Premium1 Month trial$4.991 Month
- Annually$29.991 Year
- One time$24.99
Questions
Is SkyView® Lite free?
Is Star Guide free?
Which has better reviews, SkyView® Lite or Star Guide?
Do SkyView® Lite or Star Guide have ads?
Which is updated more often, SkyView® Lite or Star Guide?
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