# SkyView® Lite vs Planetaria

The clearest difference is price: SkyView® Lite at Free against Planetaria's $4.99. SkyView® Lite also leads on ratings volume (19K vs 9) and review sentiment (65% vs 50%). Planetaria's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

SkyView® Lite is free to download; Planetaria costs $4.99 up front. SkyView® Lite sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Planetaria asks for nothing beyond the download.

Planetaria holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SkyView® Lite has 19K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of SkyView® Lite's written reviews are positive against 50% of Planetaria's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SkyView® Lite ships an update every 2 months, Planetaria every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SkyView® Lite | Planetaria |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyview-lite/id413936865/reviews) | **[4.7 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetaria-space-simulator/id1546887479/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **19K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **64.6% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#116** | — |
| Size | 122 MB | 510 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Terminal Eleven LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/378238417) | [Joseph Rupertus](https://appshunter.io/developer/1610637143) |

## What reviewers say

### SkyView® Lite

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

**Currently charting:** #116 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


### Planetaria

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetaria-space-simulator/id1546887479)

Explore a dynamic 3D model of the Solar System, synchronizing with real-time data to show celestial bodies in orbit. Discover planets, dwarf planets, and moons with detailed surface models. Manipulate time to view past and future solar system configurations.

**Highlights:** Interactive 3D Solar System model, Real-time celestial body positions, Detailed 3D surface models, Explore planets, dwarf planets, and moons, Time manipulation (past/future), AR integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SkyView® Lite free?

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

### Is Planetaria free?

Planetaria costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SkyView® Lite or Planetaria?

Planetaria is rated higher. SkyView® Lite averages 4.5 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while Planetaria averages 4.7 from 9 ratings.

### Do SkyView® Lite or Planetaria have ads?

SkyView® Lite shows ads; Planetaria does not.

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

SkyView® Lite ships an update every 2 months, and Planetaria every 5 months. Most recently, SkyView® Lite was updated on September 24, 2026 and Planetaria on September 2, 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.*