Comparison

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.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Magic hour time calculation
  • Sunrise and sunset times
  • Moonrise and full moon alerts
  • Weather forecast integration
  • Customizable notifications
  • Location-based planning
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Sun position calculation
  • Moon position calculation
  • Sun rise and set times
  • Moon rise and set times
  • Elevation adjustment
  • Time zone adjustment
Features
Read full description

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

Magic Hour4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Magic Hour sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sun and Moon Position asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Magic Hour versus Sun and Moon Position: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagic HourSun and Moon Position
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5.2K ratings) — better4.3 (62 ratings)
Positive reviews76.8% of reviews — better40.0% of reviews
Number of ratings5.2K — better62
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLinda Byrketshebli geegieh

Customer experience

Magic Hour

All ratings5,115 ratings
Positive97.0%
Neutral1.3%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews164 reviews
Positive76.8%
Neutral5.5%
Negative17.7%

Sun and Moon Position

All ratings60 ratings
Positive81.7%
Neutral5.0%
Negative13.3%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%

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
Show 3 more
  • 🐛 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
Show 2 more
  • 💡 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

1 purchases

Magic Hour

One-time1
  • Add Locations Ability$0.99
None

Sun and Moon Position

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Magic Hour free?
Magic Hour is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sun and Moon Position free?
Sun and Moon Position is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Magic Hour or Sun and Moon Position?
Magic Hour is rated higher. Magic Hour averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.2K ratings, while Sun and Moon Position averages 4.3 from 62 ratings.
Do Magic Hour or Sun and Moon Position have ads?
Neither Magic Hour nor Sun and Moon Position shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Magic Hour or Sun and Moon Position?
Magic Hour ships an update every 2 months, and Sun and Moon Position every 3 months. Most recently, Magic Hour was updated on September 23, 2026 and Sun and Moon Position on September 16, 2026.

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