Comparison

Night Sky vs Satellite Tracker by Star Walk

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

Head to head
About

Night Sky

Identify stars, planets, and constellations by pointing your device at the sky. Explore celestial objects in augmented reality and learn about space with an AI super astronomer. Share stargazing experiences with friends and family.

Highlights
  • AI personal planetarium
  • AR exploration of celestial objects
  • AI Super Astronomer assistant
  • Personalized Sky Tags
  • Connected Stargazing with SharePlay
  • Spatial audio navigation
  • AR Planetary Portals & Grand Orrery
Features
Read full description

Night Sky is a powerful AI personal planetarium. Quickly identify stars, planets, constellations and satellites above by simply holding your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch to the Night Sky! This is all done magically. Whether you’re looking for a constellation, or the International Space Station, let Night Sky direct you to it, then explore the object in AR! FEATURE SET: - NIGHT SKY + AURA (Night Sky + Aura Subscription required) - Your Personal AI Super Astronomer! Ask Night Sky Aura virtually anything about Space and it will know the answer. Night Sky Aura fully interfaces with features within Night Sky, to direct you to objects you’re interested in, provide information on anything to do with astronomy, or even show you how the sky looks on the other side of the world! With your own personal AI Super Astronomer right by your side, Night Sky Aura becomes the new natural way to interact with the sky above! - SKY TAGS - Make Night Sky yours, by adding personal Sky Tags to the map! Pin Sky Tags to objects in the sky to save for future reference, and share them via iMessage so others can find them! Sky Tags can be categorized, and are completely personal to you. Maybe you want to tag a star as a memorial to someone, or tag something you’d like to observe later that night. You can even add Astrophotography photos and observation notes to your Sky Tags! - CONNECTED STARGAZING (+ Feature) - Connected Stargazing is a revolutionary new feature that utilizes SharePlay in iOS 15.1, allowing you to stargaze with others when you are apart! Start a FaceTime Audio call with those who you would like to stargaze with, then create a session by adding objects for everyone to find in the sky! - SPATIAL AUDIO OBJECT NAVIGATION - Using AirPods Pro or AirPods Max, search for an object when automatic sky tracking is on, and Night Sky will make the star, planet or constellation ‘chirp’ in the 360° soundscape, assisting you to navigate to the object with sound! - AR SKY WINDOW - Erase the ceiling of your bedroom, lounge or classroom with AR! Night Sky intelligently detects the ceiling or other flat surface in a room, and can make it magically disappear to reveal the sky behind it! - BILLIONS OF STARS! (+ Feature) - Space is vast, so Night Sky has been hyper charged with over 1.7 BILLION STARS streamed from the cloud! With a new super deep zoom (greater than 10X before), prepare to delve deeper into space than you ever imagined! - MAPS UI - A clean and familiar interface with Search features including Quick Find, intelligent Night Red Mode, Light Pollution indicator and easy to use menu, prepare to navigate Night Sky quicker than ever before! - AR PLANETARY PORTALS & AR GRAND ORRERY (+ Features) - Step onto the surface of other planets by placing AR portals around your room! Or walk around the entire Solar System using the newly refreshed interactive Grand Orrery! - NIGHT SKY WATCH AR - Night Sky magically comes to life on Apple Watch, with Glass Constellations, Red Vision, and Night Sky Live Tours - all on your wrist! - AR OBJECT EXPLORATION - Pull Planets, Stars and Constellations out of the sky and look at them in detailed AR! - NIGHT SKY TOURS (+ Feature): Get a live sky tour or create your own sky tours for any location and time in the world! - NIGHT SKY MINDFULNESS (+ Feature) - A mindfulness stargazing experience adding mindfulness minutes with Apple HealthKit. - AND MANY MORE FEATURES! Subscription Information: 'Night Sky +' and 'Night Sky + Aura' are available as optional subscriptions. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Privacy policy: http://www.icandiapps.com/privacy-policy/ Terms and Conditions of Use: http://www.icandiapps.com/terms-conditions/

About

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk

Track satellites in real-time, including the ISS and Starlink. Get predictions for upcoming passes and set alerts. Explore satellite orbits and trajectories with various viewing modes.

Highlights
  • Real-time satellite tracking
  • Satellite flyby timer
  • Pass predictions
  • Customizable location
  • Fly-with-satellite view
  • Satellite orbit over Earth
Features
Read full description

Observe the International Space Station in the sky above you and find out where human-made satellites are right now with SATELLITE TRACKER by STAR WALK! MAIN FEATURES - Real-time satellite tracking - The most outstanding satellites - Satellite flyby timer & pass predictions - Hand-picked passes & customizable location - Fly-with-satellite view - Satellite orbit over Earth Enjoy the easy and comfortable real-time satellite tracking with SATELLITE TRACKER! ► Select a satellite from the list and see its current location in the sky in real-time or track satellite live orbiting Earth. You can track the most famous and brightest satellites, SpaceX’s Stalinks, communications and weather forecasting satellites, and much more! ► At the top of the main screen, the flyby timer counts the amount of time left until the next flyby of the selected satellite over your location. Tap the down arrow to open the list of passes that will be visible from your location in the nearest future. ► Get precise predictions when satellites are visible in the sky above your location. The list of passes allows you to set any alert (one or more) for the satellite's pass that you’d like to witness. Switch between the app’s modes (Globe view, Satellite View, and Sky view) by tapping the round icons at the bottom of the screen. -> Choose Satellite View to enjoy the 3D image of a satellite flying over Earth with the real speed and location. -> Globe view allows you to see a satellite’s trajectory around the Earth's 3D model and on the Earth’s map. -> Find the satellites in the sky by following the arrow pointer with the Sky View mode. The app contains ads. The ISS is available by default. With SATELLITES LIVE subscription, you get an instant ad-free access to tracking satellites live orbiting over Earth and in the sky, the timer for the next appearance, and alerts about the nearest flybys. SATELLITES LIVE is a renewable subscription with a 1-week FREE trial that gives you access to content from within the app on an ongoing basis. Payment will be charged to your iTunes account. At the end of each subscription duration (1 month), the subscription will automatically renew until you choose to cancel it, and your account will be charged for renewal 24 hours before the end of the current period. Users can manage their subscriptions in their account settings on the App Store. Privacy policy: https://vitotechnology.com/privacy-policy.html Terms of use: https://vitotechnology.com/terms-of-use.html Never miss satellites passing by in the sky with SATELLITE TRACKER!

Screenshots

Night Sky4 screens
Satellite Tracker by Star Walk4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Night Sky at none against Satellite Tracker by Star Walk's shown. Night Sky also leads on ratings volume (499K vs 70K) and chart position (#23 vs #188). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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

Both are free to download. Night Sky sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days and Satellite Tracker by Star Walk sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Night Sky against 4.6 for Satellite Tracker by Star Walk. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Night Sky has 499K ratings behind it against 70K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Night Sky's written reviews are positive against 58% of Satellite Tracker by Star Walk's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Night Sky ships an update monthly, Satellite Tracker by Star Walk every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 12, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Night Sky versus Satellite Tracker by Star Walk: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNight SkySatellite Tracker by Star Walk
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (499K ratings) — better4.6 (70K ratings)
Positive reviews62.9% of reviews — better57.7% of reviews
Number of ratings499K — better70K
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#23 — better#188
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size530 MB331 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperiCandi Apps Ltd.Vito Technology Inc.

Customer experience

Night Sky

All ratings498,242 ratings
Positive93.2%
Neutral3.1%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews1,414 reviews
Positive62.9%
Neutral6.4%
Negative30.7%

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk

All ratings70,432 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral4.0%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews574 reviews
Positive57.7%
Neutral8.5%
Negative33.8%

User reviews

Night Sky

From 499K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Excellent app for stargazing and learning about the night sky
  • 🔭 Detailed information on celestial objects, satellites, and space events
  • 🌍 Accurate mapping of the sky to real-world locations
  • 🎨 Beautiful visuals and animations
  • 🔍 Helpful for identifying stars, planets, and constellations

Room to improve

  • 💰 Frequent prompts to upgrade to premium subscription
  • 🔌 Concerns about high battery consumption
  • 🤔 Calibration and alignment issues with the AR features
  • 🤯 Overwhelming amount of information and features for casual users
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches reported

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk

From 70K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🔭 Excellent for tracking ISS
  • 🌍 Impressive 3D graphics
  • 👍 Helpful for stargazing with kids
  • 🔍 Useful for identifying satellites

Room to improve

  • 💰 Subscription model too restrictive
  • 🔍 Limited satellite tracking options
  • 🕰️ Inaccurate pass timing notifications
  • 🔌 Requires internet connection
  • 🔍 Difficult to find and track specific satellites

Bugs and requests

Night Sky

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashing or freezing during use
  • Inaccurate mapping of the night sky compared to the real-world view
  • Issues with the app continuing to run and consume data in the background even when not in use

Requested features

5 requests
  • Option to disable or reduce the frequency of subscription prompts
  • Improved accuracy and responsiveness of the AR sky blending
  • More customization options to tailor the app experience
  • Better support for users in areas with high light pollution
  • Ability to search for and locate specific celestial objects more easily

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unsubscribe button not working
  • Compass issues causing incorrect orientation
  • Occasional crashes and freezes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more satellite tracking options
  • Improve pass timing accuracy
  • Provide offline mode for remote use
  • Allow tracking of HAM radio satellites
  • Add more detailed satellite information

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Night Sky

Subscriptions7
  • Night Sky +$5.997 Days
  • Night Sky +$9.991 Month
  • Night Sky + Aura$9.997 Days
Show 4 more
  • Night Sky + Aura$17.991 Month
  • Night Sky +$49.991 Year
  • Night Sky + Aura$69.991 Year
  • Night Sky + Aura3 Days trial$69.991 Year
10 purchases

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk

Subscriptions8
  • Real Time Satellite Tracking7 Days trial$0.491 Month
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1m$0.991 Month
  • Real Time Satellite Tracking7 Days trial$0.993 Months
Show 5 more
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1m$1.991 Month
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1m3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1y$5.991 Year
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1y$7.991 Year
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1y3 Days trial$7.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime Premium Access Sale$4.99
  • Lifetime Premium Access$9.99

Questions

Is Night Sky free?
Night Sky is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Satellite Tracker by Star Walk free?
Satellite Tracker by Star Walk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Night Sky or Satellite Tracker by Star Walk?
Night Sky is rated higher. Night Sky averages 4.7 out of 5 from 499K ratings, while Satellite Tracker by Star Walk averages 4.6 from 70K ratings.
Do Night Sky or Satellite Tracker by Star Walk have ads?
Satellite Tracker by Star Walk shows ads; Night Sky does not.
Which is updated more often, Night Sky or Satellite Tracker by Star Walk?
Night Sky ships an update monthly, and Satellite Tracker by Star Walk every 2 months. Most recently, Night Sky was updated on November 12, 2026 and Satellite Tracker by Star Walk on November 12, 2026.
Which is more popular, Night Sky or Satellite Tracker by Star Walk?
Night Sky currently peaks at #23 in the App Store charts, and Satellite Tracker by Star Walk at #188. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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