# SimpleMoon vs Moonlight phase

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Moonlight phase at none against SimpleMoon's 1. Moonlight phase also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months). SimpleMoon's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 67%) and ratings volume (302 vs 26). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SimpleMoon sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Moonlight phase asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for SimpleMoon against 4.8 for Moonlight phase. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SimpleMoon has 302 ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of SimpleMoon's written reviews are positive against 67% of Moonlight phase's.

SimpleMoon ships an update every 5 months, Moonlight phase every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SimpleMoon | Moonlight phase |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (302 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplemoon-moon-phase/id518753922/reviews)** | [4.8 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moonlight-phase/id1666801366/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **302** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | **86.1% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 20 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tag Along K](https://appshunter.io/developer/716343859) | [Gennady Dmitrik](https://appshunter.io/developer/1154228999) |

## What reviewers say

### SimpleMoon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplemoon-moon-phase/id518753922)

Get accurate, real-time moon phase and illumination information for any day. Easily navigate through dates and view the moon's appearance for your specific hemisphere. The app works offline and provides upcoming full and new moon dates.

**Highlights:** Real-time moon phase and illumination, Date navigation and calendar selection, Offline functionality, Hemisphere-specific moon views, Next full and new moon dates

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads from SimpleMoon | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🌕 Accurate moon phases
- 🖼️ Beautiful moon visuals
- 💡 Ability to check past and future dates
- 📱 Responsive developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚠️ Unwanted adult content
- 🚫 Missing key information (rise/set times)
- 🖥️ No widget available
- 🤔 Limited features for some users
- 🧭 Location not always requested/used

**Reported bugs**

- Adult content appearing unexpectedly
- Moon phase accuracy issues reported
- App not rotating on iPads (resolved)
- Displays (null)% and black moon

**Requested features**

- Include moon rise and set times
- Add a widget for quick overview
- Allow dragging to scroll through dates
- App icon showing current moon phase
- Southern Hemisphere option


### Moonlight phase

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moonlight-phase/id1666801366)

Visualize the current moon phase with stunning 8K animations and an augmented reality mode. Explore the lunar surface up close without a telescope, and select any date to see its corresponding phase. The app also offers geomagnetic storm predictions and works offline.

**Highlights:** Current moon phase visualization, 8K resolution quality, Augmented Reality (AR) mode, Select any date for lunar phase, Geomagnetic storm prediction, Offline functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SimpleMoon free?

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

### Is Moonlight phase free?

Moonlight phase is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SimpleMoon or Moonlight phase?

SimpleMoon is rated higher. SimpleMoon averages 4.9 out of 5 from 302 ratings, while Moonlight phase averages 4.8 from 26 ratings.

### Do SimpleMoon or Moonlight phase have ads?

Both SimpleMoon and Moonlight phase show ads.

### Which is updated more often, SimpleMoon or Moonlight phase?

SimpleMoon ships an update every 5 months, and Moonlight phase every 5 weeks. Most recently, SimpleMoon was updated on September 28, 2026 and Moonlight phase on September 26, 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.*