Comparison

Observer Pro vs Astro Skies

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Observer Pro

This app helps advanced astronomers and astrophotographers plan their observing sessions. It predicts object visibility, factoring in local obstructions, and provides weather forecasts. Manage observing lists and favorite sites to maximize your stargazing time.

Highlights
  • 14,000+ deep sky objects with photos
  • Local horizon profile measurement
  • Object visibility prediction charts
  • Featured object recommendations
  • Favorite observing site management
  • Astronomical weather forecasts
Features
Read full description

Observer Pro is an indispensable app for advanced astronomy observing and astrophotography planning. No more guessing when that galaxy emerges from behind that tree. No more estimating how many hours you'll be able to image an object. Observer Pro gives every astronomer the info they need to make the most of their observing right at their fingertips! What astronomers are saying: "Every astronomer with an iPhone should own this app!" - Astronomy Technology Today magazine "Observer Pro is the most impressive astronomy app that I have tried out. I enthusiastically commend it to you!" - Tom Mote, Professor Emeritus, Astronomy "I have been using it since the day it first became available and I cannot live without it now." - Sedat B., Cloudy Nights forum Feature highlights: • Over 14,000 deep sky objects included, all with closeup reference photos. No need to download anything after install! Sorting and search make it easy to sift through all of them to find which objects belong on your observing list. • Measure your local horizon profile in minutes with your iPhone. • Unique charts completely take the guesswork out of predicting object visibility. Your house, trees, mountains, or any other obstructions are completely factored in to all visibility charts. • New to astronomy? The Featured object list shows a list of objects specific to your location and local horizon that are great for observing right now. • Keep a list of your favorite observing sites, each with their own local horizon profile. Compare object visibility between sites to find the best spot to setup your scope. • There's a lot to observe! Observer Pro gives you a place to maintain a list of your favorite objects as well as an observing list that you can take with you to the eyepiece. • 7Timer! astronomical weather forecasts for your observing sites are viewable without leaving Observer Pro. They give you the outlook on cloud cover, seeing, transparency, and more. • Check out the in-app help to learn more about how to use the many features that come with Observer Pro. Keep up-to-date with the latest news at the Observer Pro blog: http://observer.pro/blog

About

Astro Skies

Plan your stargazing sessions with this astronomy app. It provides real-time observing conditions, weather forecasts, lunar information, and visible celestial objects to help you make the most of your nights under the stars.

Highlights
  • Observing score based on sky and weather
  • Detailed weather and seeing conditions
  • Moon phase and astronomical darkness
  • Visible objects and astronomical events
  • Red vision mode for night use
  • Camera-based sky pointer
Features
Read full description

Astro Skies is a mobile astronomy app designed to help observers, astrophotographers and sky lovers plan better nights under the stars. The app brings together observing conditions, sky quality, Moon information, astronomical darkness, weather forecasts, astronomical events, comets, visible objects, transient alerts and red vision mode in a simple mobile dashboard. With Astro Skies you can quickly check if the night is suitable for observation, explore what objects are visible from your location, review lunar conditions, follow relevant sky events and use tools designed for nighttime observing. Main features: • Observing score based on sky and weather conditions • Seeing, transparency, cloudiness, humidity, wind and temperature • Moon phase and astronomical darkness • Best observing window • Astronomical events and comets • Visible objects for the night • Red vision mode for night use • Camera-based sky pointer • Multilanguage support Astro Skies is built for amateur astronomers, astrophotographers and anyone who wants a quick way to plan a better observing night. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Observer Pro4 screens
Astro Skies4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Astro Skies at Free against Observer Pro's $13.99. Astro Skies also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Observer Pro's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (49 vs 1). On in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Astro Skies is free to download; Observer Pro costs $13.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Astro Skies holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Observer Pro has 49 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Observer Pro ships an update every 6 months, Astro Skies every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Observer Pro versus Astro Skies: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterObserver ProAstro Skies
Price$13.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (49 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings49 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size241 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoshua BuryDAVID ANDRES FERNANDEZ PEREZ

Customer experience

Observer Pro

All ratings49 ratings
Positive89.8%
Neutral4.1%
Negative6.1%
Written reviews120 reviews
Positive79.2%
Neutral5.8%
Negative15.0%

Astro Skies

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Observer Pro

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App crashes when selecting catalog groupings (Galaxy, Planetary Nebulae, etc.)
  • iOS keyboard doesn't dismiss on iPad after clicking Done
  • Observer lists and custom data disappearing after app closure
  • Search feature missing in version 1.4
  • Continuous crashes since recent updates
Show 5 more
  • Horizon drawing feature unreliable - drifts while drawing
  • Menu items on far right side of screen unresponsive
  • Incompatibility with iOS 8 (historical)
  • App crashes on startup with certain iOS versions
  • Weather feature broken

Requested features

16 requests
  • iPad native app with landscape mode support
  • Search functionality restoration/improvement
  • Export observer lists to other apps (Sky Safari, etc.)
  • Support for planets, comets, and asteroids
  • Observing notes and session logging
Show 11 more
  • Field of view/scope focal length comparison
  • Color object photographs
  • Additional catalogs (Sharpless, etc.)
  • Moon visibility in sky view
  • Azimuth-based sorting for telescope positioning
  • Filter options for object types
  • Cross-device syncing between iPhone and iPad
  • Print functionality for observing plans
  • User-created custom catalogs
  • Screen auto-rotation support
  • Weather forecast integration

Astro Skies

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Observer Pro

No in-app purchases

None

Astro Skies

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Observer Pro free?
Observer Pro costs $13.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Astro Skies free?
Astro Skies is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Observer Pro or Astro Skies?
Astro Skies is rated higher. Observer Pro averages 4.6 out of 5 from 49 ratings, while Astro Skies averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Observer Pro or Astro Skies have ads?
Astro Skies shows ads; Observer Pro does not.
Which is updated more often, Observer Pro or Astro Skies?
Observer Pro ships an update every 6 months, and Astro Skies every 3 weeks. Most recently, Observer Pro was updated on September 21, 2026 and Astro Skies on September 7, 2026.

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