# Night Sky vs Sky Tonight

The clearest difference is ads: Night Sky at none against Sky Tonight's shown. Night Sky also leads on ratings volume (499K vs 77K) and device support (6 vs 3). Sky Tonight's advantage is review sentiment (81% vs 63%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Night Sky sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days and Sky Tonight sells 8 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 4.8 for Sky Tonight. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Night Sky has 499K ratings behind it against 77K, 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 81% of Sky Tonight's.

Night Sky ships an update monthly, Sky Tonight every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 12, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Night Sky | Sky Tonight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (499K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/night-sky/id475772902/reviews) | **[4.8 (77K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-tonight-stargazing-guide/id1570594940/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **499K** | 77K |
| Positive reviews | 62.9% of reviews | **80.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#23** | #74 |
| Size | 530 MB | 518 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.0** |
| 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) | [Vito Technology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/289641503) |

## What reviewers say

### Night Sky

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

**Currently charting:** #23 Top Free · Reference, #27 Top Grossing · Reference (US App Store)

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:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, SharePlay, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 + | $49.99 | per year |
| Night Sky + Aura | $69.99 | per year |
| Night Sky + Aura | $69.99 | per year |

**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


### Sky Tonight

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-tonight-stargazing-guide/id1570594940)

**Currently charting:** #74 Top Free · Reference, #108 Top Grossing · Reference (US App Store)

Explore the night sky with this astronomy app. Identify celestial objects, discover upcoming astronomical events, and track their positions. Customize your view, set reminders, and access detailed information for a personalized stargazing experience.

**Highlights:** Real-time interactive sky map, Augmented reality mode, Time Machine for past/future positions, Customizable object filters, Event reminders, Astronomy calendar with weather forecast, Flexible search for celestial objects

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-month Premium Access | $0.99 | per month |
| 1-month Premium Access | $2.99 | per month |
| 1-month Premium Access | $2.99 | per month |
| 1-year Premium Access | $4.99 | per year |
| 1-year Premium Access | $5.99 | per year |
| 1-year Premium Access | $5.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium Access Sale | $7.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Access | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for finding new things
- 🌟 Amazing and accurate
- 🔭 Helpful for learning about the night sky
- 🗓️ Provides calendar of sky events
- 🌍 Shows satellites and planets

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficult to calibrate and use
- 📢 Too many intrusive ads
- 💰 Paywall for many features
- 🔔 Confusing/unnecessary notifications
- 🧭 Compass/location issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes frequently
- Menus and options not working properly
- Location tracking and sky view not updating correctly

**Requested features**

- Add more free content and features
- Improve calibration and compass accuracy
- Provide better onboarding and instructions
- Reduce ads or offer ad-free version
- Allow filtering by visible objects only


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Night Sky free?

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

### Is Sky Tonight free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Night Sky or Sky Tonight?

Sky Tonight is rated higher. Night Sky averages 4.7 out of 5 from 499K ratings, while Sky Tonight averages 4.8 from 77K ratings.

### Do Night Sky or Sky Tonight have ads?

Sky Tonight shows ads; Night Sky does not.

### Which is updated more often, Night Sky or Sky Tonight?

Night Sky ships an update monthly, and Sky Tonight every 2 months. Most recently, Night Sky was updated on November 12, 2026 and Sky Tonight on November 12, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Night Sky or Sky Tonight?

Night Sky currently peaks at #23 in the App Store charts, and Sky Tonight at #74. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*