# Astro Kit vs Planetary Compass

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Planetary Compass at 100% against Astro Kit's 50%. Planetary Compass also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). Astro Kit's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 1.8) and ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Astro Kit holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Astro Kit has 50 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Astro Kit's written reviews are positive against 100% of Planetary Compass's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Astro Kit ships an update every 3 months, Planetary Compass every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Astro Kit | Planetary Compass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astro-kit/id432175465/reviews)** | [1.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetary-compass/id1665242068/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **50** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 3 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jerome Diaz](https://appshunter.io/developer/334987620) | [Gaston Sobrevilla](https://appshunter.io/developer/1580321667) |

## What reviewers say

### Astro Kit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astro-kit/id432175465)

This utility app assists in telescope setup by providing essential information like GPS coordinates and universal time. It also includes a compass and calculates the local hour angle for Polaris. Designed for amateur astronomers, it simplifies the alignment process.

**Highlights:** GPS coordinates, Compass functionality, Universal time display, Polaris local hour angle computation, Telescope alignment assistance

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Planetary Compass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetary-compass/id1665242068)

Discover the location of planets in the night sky. This app helps you identify celestial bodies like Mars and Jupiter, indicating their position, altitude, and magnitude. It also informs you if a planet is visible without optical aid.

**Highlights:** Indicates Azimuth, Altitude, and Magnitude, Helps locate planets by rotating phone, Indicates naked-eye visibility, Identifies planets like Mars and Jupiter

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Astro Kit free?

Astro Kit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Planetary Compass free?

Planetary Compass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Astro Kit or Planetary Compass?

Astro Kit is rated higher. Astro Kit averages 4.6 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while Planetary Compass averages 1.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do Astro Kit or Planetary Compass have ads?

Planetary Compass shows ads; Astro Kit does not.

### Which is updated more often, Astro Kit or Planetary Compass?

Astro Kit ships an update every 3 months, and Planetary Compass every 6 days. Most recently, Astro Kit was updated on June 1, 2026 and Planetary Compass on September 15, 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.*