# StarTracker HD vs APOD Explorer

The clearest difference is price: APOD Explorer at Free against StarTracker HD's $3.99. APOD Explorer also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). StarTracker HD's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

APOD Explorer is free to download; StarTracker HD costs $3.99 up front. APOD Explorer sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. StarTracker HD asks for nothing beyond the download.

StarTracker HD ships an update every 5 months, APOD Explorer every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StarTracker HD | APOD Explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.0 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startracker-hd-mobile-skymap/id449605942/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **43** | — |
| Positive reviews | 67.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 25 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [身吉 潘](https://appshunter.io/developer/341563645) | [Diego Carrera Alonso](https://appshunter.io/developer/6787161862) |

## 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)


### APOD Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apod-explorer-astronomy/id6787161860)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lunar tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Planetary tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Stellar tip | $8.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StarTracker HD free?

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

### Is APOD Explorer free?

APOD Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do StarTracker HD or APOD Explorer have ads?

Neither StarTracker HD nor APOD Explorer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, StarTracker HD or APOD Explorer?

StarTracker HD ships an update every 5 months, and APOD Explorer every 6 weeks. Most recently, StarTracker HD was updated on November 1, 2026 and APOD Explorer on November 10, 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.*