# Sol vs Light Pollution Map

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sol at 93% against Light Pollution Map's 14%. Sol also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Light Pollution Map's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Light Pollution Map is free to download; Sol costs $4.99 up front. Light Pollution Map sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Sol asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sol holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 898 and 239 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Sol's written reviews are positive against 14% of Light Pollution Map's.

Sol ships an update every 2 months, Light Pollution Map every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sol | Light Pollution Map |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (898 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sol-sun-clock/id491537291/reviews)** | [4.5 (239 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-pollution-map-dark-sky/id1200379779/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **898** | 239 |
| Positive reviews | **93.2% of reviews** | 14.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#32** | #149 |
| Size | 16 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Juggleware, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/291091604) | [Dunbar Technology, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1200379778) |

## What reviewers say

### Sol

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

**Currently charting:** #32 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


### Light Pollution Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-pollution-map-dark-sky/id1200379779)

**Currently charting:** #149 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

Discover optimal locations for stargazing and astrophotography with a detailed light pollution map. Get real-time alerts for celestial events like meteor showers and auroras, track the ISS, and access daily astronomy photos. Enhance your night sky observations with comprehensive tools and information.

**Highlights:** Interactive light pollution map, Aurora borealis live map and alerts, Meteor shower and super moon alerts, ISS tracker with live updates, Moon phases and information, Astronomy photo of the day

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Version | $9.99 | per year |
| Pro Version | $14.99 | per year |
| Pro Version | $19.99 | per year |
| Pro Version | $29.99 | per year |
| Pro Version Upgrade Discounted | $8.99 | one-time |
| Pro Version Upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clear detailed satellite views
- 🚀 Works with barely any signal
- 📊 Useful map with latest data
- 🌌 Helps with astrophotography

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes on opening the map
- 🐛 Crashes after locating user's position
- 🔍 No legend for map colors
- 💰 Tries to get users to upgrade to premium

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening light pollution map
- App crashes after locating user's position
- Cloud coverage feature not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add Bortle rating information
- Improve cloud coverage feature
- Fix crashing issues


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sol free?

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

### Is Light Pollution Map free?

Light Pollution Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sol or Light Pollution Map?

Sol is rated higher. Sol averages 4.8 out of 5 from 898 ratings, while Light Pollution Map averages 4.5 from 239 ratings.

### Do Sol or Light Pollution Map have ads?

Neither Sol nor Light Pollution Map shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sol or Light Pollution Map?

Sol ships an update every 2 months, and Light Pollution Map every 3 weeks. Most recently, Sol was updated on October 18, 2026 and Light Pollution Map on October 16, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Sol or Light Pollution Map?

Sol currently peaks at #32 in the App Store charts, and Light Pollution Map at #149. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*