# Magic Hour vs Daylight BASIC

The clearest difference is rating: Magic Hour at 4.8 against Daylight BASIC's 2.0. Magic Hour also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (5.2K vs 6). Daylight BASIC's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Magic Hour sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Daylight BASIC asks for nothing beyond the download.

Magic Hour holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magic Hour has 5.2K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of Magic Hour's written reviews are positive against 80% of Daylight BASIC's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Magic Hour | Daylight BASIC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-hour/id482426006/reviews)** | [2.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daylight-basic/id610715489/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.2K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 76.8% of reviews | **80.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 16 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Linda Byrket](https://appshunter.io/developer/482426309) | [factsoft ag](https://appshunter.io/developer/420369183) |

## What reviewers say

### Magic Hour

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-hour/id482426006)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Add Locations Ability | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great overview of the entire Magic Hour
- 👍 Fantastic in every way
- 👍 All the info you need to plan, especially for photographers
- 👍 Sleek and easy to use
- 👍 Perfect for photographers and cinematographers

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏰ Time way off
- 🔍 Can't change location
- 🐛 Crashes all the time
- 💰 Forced in-app purchase
- 🔍 Can't see future dates anymore

**Reported bugs**

- 🐛 Time way off
- 🐛 Can't change location
- 🐛 Crashes all the time
- 🐛 Can't see future dates anymore
- 🐛 Widget doesn't update

**Requested features**

- 💡 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


### Daylight BASIC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daylight-basic/id610715489)

This app displays daily and future sunshine hours, along with sunrise and sunset times for your current location. It also tracks changes in sunshine duration over various periods, including comparisons to solstices.

**Highlights:** Sunshine hours display, Sunrise and sunset times, Future time projections, Sunshine hour difference tracking, Location-based data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Magic Hour free?

Magic Hour is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Daylight BASIC free?

Daylight BASIC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Magic Hour or Daylight BASIC?

Magic Hour is rated higher. Magic Hour averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.2K ratings, while Daylight BASIC averages 2.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Magic Hour or Daylight BASIC have ads?

Daylight BASIC shows ads; Magic Hour does not.

### Which is updated more often, Magic Hour or Daylight BASIC?

Magic Hour ships an update every 2 months, and Daylight BASIC every 2 months. Most recently, Magic Hour was updated on September 23, 2026 and Daylight BASIC on September 20, 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.*