Comparison

Magic Hour vs Sunrise, Sunset

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

Sunrise, Sunset

This app displays the precise times and directions of sunrise and sunset based on your current location and elevation. It also provides detailed information about the moon, including its phase, rise and set times, and illumination.

Highlights
  • Sunrise and sunset times and direction
  • Moon phase, rise, and set times
  • Twilight times (civil, nautical, astronomical)
  • Elevation data integration
  • Location-based information
  • Date and time manipulation for planning
  • Apple Watch app and complications
Features
Read full description

Shows direction from your location where sun goes up and sun goes down. Map can be rotated along with orientation of the device, you can see the actual direction of sunrise and sunset from your location. App shows current moon phase and other information including time of moon rise and moon set, age, illumination, and date of full moon. App uses elevation data from NASA SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission), and elevation is taking into accout of time calculation for accuracy. For this app especially widgets to properly work, please allow location permission to app. - Shows time of sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset. - Indicates current sun and moon position. - Shows time of civil twilight, nautical twilight, and astronomical twilight. - Shows age of moon, illumination, and date of nearest full moon. - Moon phase shows current phase of moon visually. - Shows information on any location you point on map. - Timezone and time difference is shown when you point on distant location. - Shows elevation (height above sea level) of the location. - Date, time, location, and elevation are taken into account with calculation of rise and set time. - Street address can be shown when available. It is useful for places you travel and need to know your location when calling taxi or facing accidents. - You can change the date to see info on date you specify, for planning travel or any activity. - Time can be changed during the day, and able to see the movement of sun and moon. - Supports Apple Watch app and complications. Time of rise and set, moon phase is shown on your watch for your current location. - Complications can be placed on your watch face to glance updated info at ease.

Screenshots

Magic Hour4 screens
Sunrise, Sunset4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Magic Hour at 4.8 against Sunrise, Sunset's 3.3. Magic Hour also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (77% vs 50%). Sunrise, Sunset's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and iOS requirement 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 and Sunrise, Sunset sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Magic Hour holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magic Hour has 5.2K ratings behind it against 20, 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 50% of Sunrise, Sunset's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Magic Hour ships an update every 2 months, Sunrise, Sunset every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Magic Hour versus Sunrise, Sunset: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagic HourSunrise, Sunset
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5.2K ratings) — better3.3 (20 ratings)
Positive reviews76.8% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings5.2K — better20
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLinda ByrketOceano Inc.

Customer experience

Magic Hour

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

Sunrise, Sunset

All ratings20 ratings
Positive45.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative35.0%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral15.6%
Negative34.4%

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

Sunrise, Sunset

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Magic Hour

One-time1
  • Add Locations Ability$0.99
1 purchases

Sunrise, Sunset

One-time1
  • Upgrade to Ad-Free$1.99

Questions

Is Magic Hour free?
Magic Hour is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sunrise, Sunset free?
Sunrise, Sunset is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Magic Hour or Sunrise, Sunset?
Magic Hour is rated higher. Magic Hour averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.2K ratings, while Sunrise, Sunset averages 3.3 from 20 ratings.
Do Magic Hour or Sunrise, Sunset have ads?
Sunrise, Sunset shows ads; Magic Hour does not.
Which is updated more often, Magic Hour or Sunrise, Sunset?
Magic Hour ships an update every 2 months, and Sunrise, Sunset every 3 days. Most recently, Magic Hour was updated on September 23, 2026 and Sunrise, Sunset on September 20, 2026.

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