SkyView® Lite vs Cosmic
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!
Cosmic
Explore the cosmos with this app that offers interactive tools for celestial navigation and astronomical observation. Visualize the sky, Earth, and solar system from multiple perspectives, and discover constellations, planets, and events in augmented reality. It's a blend of ancient wisdom and modern technology for a deeper connection to the universe.
- Multiple celestial perspectives (sky, Earth, solar system)
- Augmented reality sky exploration
- Interactive astronomical and world clocks
- Visualized natal charts (Western, Vedic, Sidereal)
- Day/night cycles on Earth globe
- Celestial navigation guides
- Notifications for astronomical events
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The sky above you, the Earth beneath you, the solar system you move through space. Three perspectives no other app combines this way. For thousands of years humans read the sky to measure time, navigate the Earth, and find meaning in their existence. Astronomy, astrology, and timekeeping were one science. Cosmic Watch reunites them. Free for the first time in ten years. FEATURES (core) • Sky View — stars, planets, and constellations • Earth View — day and night cycle, the cosmos around it • Solar System — geocentric and heliocentric • Celestial sphere — full 360° sky overview, unique to this app • Astrology Mode — Western, Vedic and 3D • Retrograde motion across all planets • World clock and astronomical events • Notifications for eclipses, solstices, and moon cycles • Celestial navigation — orient yourself by the sky Or just watch the Earth float in space and remember where you are. Free to explore. The three views, sky guide, every layer, star names, world clock, and notifications are yours from the first open. Tools and Time Control unlock with a subscription — or forever with Cosmic Pro. Keep the project alive and growing. We read every message you send us. TOOLS (in-app purchase) • Moon Calendar • Real-Time Clouds • Meteor Showers • Comets • Planetary Aspects • Retrograde Year • Dreamspell Calendar • Atmosphere Clockface • Save Date / Time / Location • Time Control — move forward and back, any moment A full app. Not a widget or watch face, yet. Runs on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Silicon Mac Privacy committed: No account required. Analytics never shared. Webby Award for Best Educational App 2018. New York Times. Wired. Space.com. By a Chi Gong master and an animation artist. Still looking up. Time is the Cosmic Rhythm. Terms of Use: https://cosmic-watch.com/termsOfService/ Privacy Policy: https://cosmic-watch.com/privacyPolicy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Cosmic at none against SkyView® Lite's shown. Cosmic also leads on review sentiment (87% vs 65%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). SkyView® Lite's advantage is ratings volume (19K vs 624) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). 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
Both are free to download. SkyView® Lite sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Cosmic sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Cosmic holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SkyView® Lite has 19K ratings behind it against 624, 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 87% of Cosmic's.
SkyView® Lite ships an update every 2 months, Cosmic every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SkyView® Lite | Cosmic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (19K ratings) | 4.8 (624 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | 87.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 19K — better | 624 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #69 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 122 MB | 194 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Terminal Eleven LLC | Celestial Dynamics AG |
Customer experience
SkyView® Lite
Cosmic
User reviews
SkyView® Lite
From 19K App Store ratingsWhat 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
Cosmic
From 624 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌟 Visually stunning and mesmerizing
- 🔍 Excellent for learning about the solar system and celestial sphere
- 🕰️ Useful for tracking planetary movements and positions
- 🎨 Beautiful and intuitive interface
- 🧠 Highly educational and informative
Room to improve
- 🔧 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 📍 Inaccurate location detection
- 🔍 Overwhelming amount of information for beginners
- ⚙️ Difficulty in customizing and managing settings
- 🔍 Lack of clear tutorials and user guides
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
Cosmic
Reported bugs
3 issues- Date and time not accurately reflected in the solar system view
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between different modes and settings
- Difficulty in maintaining user preferences across sessions
Requested features
5 requests- Add an alarm feature to wake up to different celestial views
- Implement support for Apple Watch and other wearables
- Provide more options to customize the display and information layers
- Include a night mode or dimmer setting for better visibility in low light
- Integrate with other astronomy apps and tools for a more comprehensive experience
In-app purchases
SkyView® Lite
- Stargazing Music Pack$0.99
- Brightest Satellites & Sightings$0.99
Cosmic
- Monthly Plan$0.991 Month
- Monthly$2.991 Month
- Yearly Plan$4.991 Year
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- Yearly$24.991 Year
- Tools Pack$2.99
- Cosmic Pro$69.99
Questions
Is SkyView® Lite free?
Is Cosmic free?
Which has better reviews, SkyView® Lite or Cosmic?
Do SkyView® Lite or Cosmic have ads?
Which is updated more often, SkyView® Lite or Cosmic?
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