# Night Sky vs The Sky by Redshift

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Night Sky at 495K against The Sky by Redshift's 811. Night Sky also leads on chart position (#36 vs unranked) and device support (6 vs 3). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Night Sky sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and The Sky by Redshift sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Night Sky against 4.7 for The Sky by Redshift. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Night Sky has 495K ratings behind it against 811, 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 69% of The Sky by Redshift's.

Night Sky ships an update monthly, The Sky by Redshift every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Night Sky | The Sky by Redshift |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (495K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/night-sky/id475772902/reviews) | [4.7 (811 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-sky-by-redshift/id1481867620/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **495K** | 811 |
| Positive reviews | 62.9% of reviews | **69.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#36** | — |
| Size | 529 MB | 472 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iCandi Apps Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/305827577) | [United Soft Media Verlag GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/330111789) |

## What reviewers say

### Night Sky

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/night-sky/id475772902)

**Currently charting:** #36 Top Grossing · Reference, #46 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

Explore the cosmos with an AI-powered planetarium. Identify stars, planets, and satellites by pointing your device at the sky. Discover celestial objects in augmented reality and share your stargazing experiences with others.

**Highlights:** AI personal planetarium, Identify stars, planets, constellations, satellites, Augmented Reality (AR) exploration, AI Super Astronomer (subscription), Customizable Sky Tags, Connected Stargazing with SharePlay, Spatial Audio Object Navigation

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Night Sky+ | $5.99 | per month |
| Night Sky + | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Night Sky + | $9.99 | per month |
| Night Sky + Aura | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Night Sky + Aura | $17.99 | per month |
| Night Sky+ | $39.99 | per year |
| Night Sky + | $49.99 | per year |
| Night Sky + Aura | $69.99 | per year |
| Night Sky + Aura | $69.99 | per year |
| Night Sky + Aura (Unlimited) | $229.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### The Sky by Redshift

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-sky-by-redshift/id1481867620)

This app is a powerful yet easy-to-use planetarium that acts as your daily astronomy companion. Simply point your device at the sky to identify planets, stars, and constellations, and explore celestial objects with detailed views and informative explanations.

**Highlights:** Identify stars, planets, and constellations, Track celestial object paths, Simulate astronomical events, Explore deep-space objects, Learn about astronomical phenomena, Eclipse timetable and simulation

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Sky Premium 1 Month | $0.99 | per month |
| The Sky Premium 1 Year | $3.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Expertly done
- 👍 Works well
- 👍 Beautiful and accurate
- 👍 Fun to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Too many ads
- 🔍 Intrusive advertising
- 🔍 Information banner not useful

**Reported bugs**

- Unauthorized access to private systems

**Requested features**

- Red light option to preserve night vision
- Smaller, less obtrusive pointer
- More features and accurate information


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Night Sky free?

Night Sky is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is The Sky by Redshift free?

The Sky by Redshift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Night Sky or The Sky by Redshift?

Night Sky and The Sky by Redshift are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 495K and 811 ratings respectively.

### Do Night Sky or The Sky by Redshift have ads?

Neither Night Sky nor The Sky by Redshift shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Night Sky or The Sky by Redshift?

Night Sky ships an update monthly, and The Sky by Redshift every 2 months. Most recently, Night Sky was updated on September 25, 2026 and The Sky by Redshift on September 21, 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.*