# StarTracker HD vs Planetaria

The clearest difference is rating: Planetaria at 4.7 against StarTracker HD's 4.0. Planetaria also leads on device support (3 vs 1). StarTracker HD's advantage is review sentiment (59% vs 50%) and ratings volume (43 vs 9). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

StarTracker HD costs $3.99 and Planetaria $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Planetaria holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 43 and 9 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of StarTracker HD'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.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on June 9, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StarTracker HD | Planetaria |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$3.99** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startracker-hd-mobile-skymap/id449605942/reviews) | **[4.7 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planetaria-space-simulator/id1546887479/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **43** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **59.4% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 25 MB | 510 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [身吉 潘](https://appshunter.io/developer/341563645) | [Joseph Rupertus](https://appshunter.io/developer/1610637143) |

## What reviewers say

### StarTracker HD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startracker-hd-mobile-skymap/id449605942)

Explore the night sky with this augmented reality planetarium. Identify stars, constellations, planets, and deep sky objects by simply pointing your device at the sky. All data is available offline.

**Highlights:** Augmented Reality Star Gazing, Identify 8000+ stars, planets, and constellations, Offline data access, Search and lock celestial objects, Time Machine feature, High-quality graphics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth, fluid graphics and responsive gyroscope tracking
- 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- 🌟 Beautiful HD visuals and stunning design
- 📍 Accurate real-time sky positioning and planet/constellation identification
- 🎓 Excellent educational tool for learning astronomy

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes on various devices
- 🐛 Compass/gyroscope malfunction issues
- 🐛 Screen display problems on larger tablets
- ❌ Limited functionality and educational depth
- ❌ Lack of object information and descriptions

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup or during use
- Compass direction incorrect (north pointing wrong direction)
- Gyroscope not responding or locked
- Share button causes crashes
- Forward/share button greying out and causing screen loss

**Requested features**

- Add search functionality for celestial objects
- Include ISS and satellite tracking
- Display object information (distance, magnitude, color, brightness)
- Add ecliptic line visibility option
- Show coordinate information (RA, Dec, Alt, Azimuth)


### 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 StarTracker HD free?

StarTracker HD costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Planetaria free?

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

### Which has better reviews, StarTracker HD or Planetaria?

Planetaria is rated higher. StarTracker HD averages 4.0 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while Planetaria averages 4.7 from 9 ratings.

### Do StarTracker HD or Planetaria have ads?

Neither StarTracker HD nor Planetaria shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, StarTracker HD or Planetaria?

StarTracker HD ships an update every 5 months, and Planetaria every 5 months. Most recently, StarTracker HD was updated on June 9, 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.*