Magic Hour vs Sun and Moon Position
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Magic Hour
This app helps photographers and cinematographers find the optimal times for shooting around sunrise and sunset. It provides precise calculations for 'magic hour' based on your location and offers moon phase information. Optional in-app purchases unlock advanced features like location selection and calendar integration.
- Magic hour time calculation
- Sunrise and sunset times
- Moonrise and full moon alerts
- Weather forecast integration
- Customizable notifications
- Location-based planning
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Magic Hour (also called golden hour) is the time of day around sunrise and sunset when the light is great for photography and cinematography. It is typically when the sun is between 6 degrees below the horizon to 6 degrees above. This sunlight is evenly dispersed and helps you create great pictures. Magic Hour makes it easy for you to know when magic hour is coming and how much time you have left once it begins. The app takes your location along with the current day and calculates when magic hour will occur. If the weather forecast is available we give that to you as well. What other light is cool to photograph in? The moon, of course. And you want a full moon for that. Our Moon Watch section lets you know the next moonrise and when the next full moon will appear. In addition to this, you can set up notifications on and before magic hour begins. And with our in-app purchase you can select locations other than your current one, view future magic hour times, and create calendar events for them. Data that is used with the Magic Hour App (e.g. locations, notifications, calendar events, etc.) remain local to your device and are not transmitted nor remotely stored.
Sun and Moon Position
This utility app accurately calculates the position of the sun and moon, along with their rise and set times. It allows users to adjust calculations based on their elevation and time zone for precise results.
- Sun position calculation
- Moon position calculation
- Sun rise and set times
- Moon rise and set times
- Elevation adjustment
- Time zone adjustment
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Sun Position — Solar & Lunar Tracker Know exactly where the Sun and Moon are — anytime, anywhere. Sun Position delivers precise solar and lunar calculations with accuracy within 0.3%, giving you reliable data whether you're a photographer chasing golden hour, an architect studying solar angles, or simply curious about the sky above you. What You Get Sun & Moon Position — Real-time azimuth, zenith, elevation, declination, apparent radius, and distance Rise & Set Times — Accurate sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset times for your location Solar Noon — Know the exact moment the sun peaks in the sky Bird Clear-Sky Irradiance — Model solar irradiance (GHI, DNI, DHI) for clear-sky conditions AR Sky View — Point your camera at the sky and see the Sun, Moon, and seasonal solar paths overlaid in augmented reality Charts — Visualize solar and lunar data across the day Built for Accuracy Adjust calculations for your exact elevation, atmospheric conditions (ozone, water vapor, aerosol), and time zone. Use Auto GPS for instant results, or enter any location manually to calculate for anywhere on Earth. Who It's For Photographers, filmmakers, architects, solar engineers, astronomers, hikers, and anyone who wants to understand the sky with precision.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Magic Hour at 77% against Sun and Moon Position's 40%. Magic Hour also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (5.2K vs 62). Sun and Moon Position's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Magic Hour sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sun and Moon Position asks for nothing beyond the download.
Magic Hour holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magic Hour has 5.2K ratings behind it against 62, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Magic Hour's written reviews are positive against 40% of Sun and Moon Position's.
Magic Hour ships an update every 2 months, Sun and Moon Position every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Magic Hour | Sun and Moon Position |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (5.2K ratings) — better | 4.3 (62 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 76.8% of reviews — better | 40.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5.2K — better | 62 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Linda Byrket | shebli geegieh |
Customer experience
Magic Hour
Sun and Moon Position
Bugs and requests
Magic Hour
Reported bugs
8 issues- 🐛 Time way off
- 🐛 Can't change location
- 🐛 Crashes all the time
- 🐛 Can't see future dates anymore
- 🐛 Widget doesn't update
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- 🐛 Keeps crashing
- 🐛 Can't determine magic hour at another location
- 🐛 App crashes
Requested features
7 requests- 💡 Moonrise notification
- 💡 Notification when magic hour ends
- 💡 Blue hour option
- 💡 Allow users to set their own background photo
- 💡 Ability to plan shoots in different locations
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- 💡 Companion app for planning sunsets weeks in advance
- 💡 Custom alert tones
Sun and Moon Position
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Magic Hour
- Add Locations Ability$0.99
Sun and Moon Position
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Magic Hour free?
Is Sun and Moon Position free?
Which has better reviews, Magic Hour or Sun and Moon Position?
Do Magic Hour or Sun and Moon Position have ads?
Which is updated more often, Magic Hour or Sun and Moon Position?
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