# Sol vs Astrospheric

The clearest difference is price: Astrospheric at Free against Sol's $4.99. Astrospheric also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (9.1 vs 18.0). Sol's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Astrospheric is free to download; Sol costs $4.99 up front. Astrospheric sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Sol asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Sol against 4.8 for Astrospheric. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 898 and 453 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of Sol's written reviews are positive against 88% of Astrospheric's.

Sol ships an update every 2 months, Astrospheric every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sol | Astrospheric |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (898 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sol-sun-clock/id491537291/reviews) | [4.8 (453 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astrospheric/id1166046863/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **898** | 453 |
| Positive reviews | **93.2% of reviews** | 87.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | #80 | **#73** |
| Size | 16 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **9.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Juggleware, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/291091604) | [Daniel Fiordalis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1166046862) |

## What reviewers say

### Sol

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sol-sun-clock/id491537291)

**Currently charting:** #80 Top Paid · Weather (US App Store)

Forecast sunrise, sunset, and twilight times for any location and date. Set smart alarms that adjust with the seasons and receive detailed solar almanac information. Plan your day around natural light, perfect for photography, outdoor activities, or maintaining sleep cycles.

**Highlights:** Sunrise and sunset time forecasting, Twilight period calculation (astronomical, nautical, civil), Location-aware alarms that adjust seasonally, Global location search and GPS support, Detailed solar almanac information, Golden hour and magic hour identification

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 🚀 Accurate and reliable information
- 💡 Useful for photographers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts
- 🌅 Helps users stay in tune with natural light cycles
- ⏰ Customizable alarms and alerts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔋 Alarms don't work when device is muted
- 🌙 Lack of moon phase information

**Reported bugs**

- Date selection issue where it shows a month ahead
- Notifications stop working after a few days

**Requested features**

- Add moon phase information
- Allow alarms to work even when device is muted
- Expand alert options beyond sunrise/sunset (e.g. solar noon, golden hour)
- Provide more customization options for alerts and alarms


### Astrospheric

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astrospheric/id1166046863)

**Currently charting:** #73 Top Grossing · Weather, #185 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

This app offers advanced weather forecasting and astronomical data for stargazers and astrophotographers. It provides detailed hourly forecasts, cloud and sky transparency reports, and alerts for celestial events. It also includes tools for astronomical societies and offline site setup.

**Highlights:** 84-hour hourly weather forecast, Ensemble cloud forecast, Kp index for Aurora, ISS flyover paths, Integrated smoke forecast, Sky and ground data, Rise and set times, Solar and Lunar eclipse data

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Astrospheric Pro Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Astrospheric Pro Subscription | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Precision tool for astrophotography
- 🔍 Detailed weather forecasts
- ⭐ Accurate and reliable
- 💻 Comprehensive data and features
- 📊 Helpful for planning observing sessions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional inaccurate forecasts
- 🔍 Missing some weather data (e.g. wind)
- 💰 Subscription required for full functionality
- 🔌 Compatibility issues on some devices

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing or not loading on some devices
- Inconsistent temperature and wind data

**Requested features**

- Notification system for clear skies
- Widgets for quick access to data
- More detailed transparency and seeing data
- Ability to flip east and west in the app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sol free?

Sol costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Astrospheric free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sol or Astrospheric?

Sol and Astrospheric are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 898 and 453 ratings respectively.

### Do Sol or Astrospheric have ads?

Neither Sol nor Astrospheric shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sol or Astrospheric?

Sol ships an update every 2 months, and Astrospheric every 3 weeks. Most recently, Sol was updated on October 15, 2026 and Astrospheric on October 14, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Sol or Astrospheric?

Sol currently peaks at #80 in the App Store charts, and Astrospheric at #73. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*