SimpleMoon vs MOON
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SimpleMoon
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.
- Real-time moon phase and illumination
- Date navigation and calendar selection
- Offline functionality
- Hemisphere-specific moon views
- Next full and new moon dates
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SimpleMoon provides a simple, elegant view of one thing: the moon phase and illumination for today (or any day you choose). SimpleMoon also shows you when the next full moon and new moon will occur from the "Today" view. So easy to use Tap the navigation buttons at the top or swipe to move between days. Use the calendar icon at the bottom to choose what date you want to see the moon view and illumination. Reliable and accurate SimpleMoon uses advanced mathematical calculations to determine the moon data for that day. It works even if you don't have an internet connection! Northern or Southern Hemisphere Did you know that the moon looks different depending on which hemisphere of the earth you are in? Go to Settings and pick which hemisphere you are in, and you will see the moon as it appears to you in the sky. Special thanks to my children, Alexander and Sophia who helped me design and test the app.
MOON
Track lunar cycles with this comprehensive moon phase calendar. Get notifications for key events, view moon phases for any date, and share lunar imagery with friends. Features offline access and home screen widgets.
- Current moon phase viewing
- Lunar event notifications
- Home screen widget
- Moon phase lookup for any date
- Social sharing of moon imagery
- Offline functionality
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MOON is your personal lunar portal. ++ Best User Experience - Webby Awards 2017 Honoree ++ Never be caught off-guard by moon-related craziness again. View the current moon phase or what the moon will look like on a certain date, see countdowns to moon events, receive notifications with enough time to avoid unpleasantness, and share what the moon looks like on any day with your friends. MOON is the most thoughtful moon phase calendar available. It becomes increasingly useful the more you use it. Enjoy. Features * Works offline, never be stranded without lunar positioning * Notifications before Full Moons, New Moons, and other special lunar events * Widget for your Home Screen * Share the current moon with the iMessage app * View what the moon looks like on any date * Share what the moon looks like on any date to Facebook, Twitter, iMessage etc. * Save current moon image to camera roll * Lunar illumination percentage * Countdown to upcoming New and Full Moons * Beautiful animated, layered spacescape * Hemisphere setting * Universal app * Support for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch * Built for iOS 12+ * Shake for Star Harp Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://moonapp.me/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: MOON at none against SimpleMoon's shown. MOON also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (29K vs 302). SimpleMoon's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. SimpleMoon sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and MOON sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for SimpleMoon against 4.8 for MOON. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MOON has 29K ratings behind it against 302, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 86% and 86% positive.
SimpleMoon ships an update every 5 months, MOON weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SimpleMoon | MOON |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (302 ratings) — better | 4.8 (29K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 86.1% of reviews — better | 85.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 302 | 29K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #66 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 143 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tag Along K | MOON CALENDAR |
Customer experience
SimpleMoon
MOON
User reviews
SimpleMoon
From 302 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🌕 Accurate moon phases
- 🖼️ Beautiful moon visuals
- 💡 Ability to check past and future dates
- 📱 Responsive developer
Room to improve
- ⚠️ Unwanted adult content
- 🚫 Missing key information (rise/set times)
- 🖥️ No widget available
- 🤔 Limited features for some users
- 🧭 Location not always requested/used
MOON
From 29K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌟 Gorgeous design
- 👍 Accurate moon phase tracking
- 💡 Quirky notification messages
- 🎨 Beautiful widget
- 🙂 Calming and peaceful
Room to improve
- 🔍 Lacking additional moon-related features
- 💰 Subscription model for some features
- 🔊 Loud notification sounds
- 🌍 Not optimized for Southern Hemisphere
Bugs and requests
SimpleMoon
Reported bugs
4 issues- Adult content appearing unexpectedly
- Moon phase accuracy issues reported
- App not rotating on iPads (resolved)
- Displays (null)% and black moon
Requested features
8 requests- 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
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- Ability to browse history/past dates
- Display date, time, and location
- Improve accuracy of moon phases
MOON
Reported bugs
2 issues- Widget not working for some users
- Moon phase information inaccurate on certain dates
Requested features
4 requests- Add moon rise and set times
- Include information on lunar events like eclipses
- Allow customization of notification sounds
- Provide Southern Hemisphere moon phase view
In-app purchases
SimpleMoon
- Remove Ads from SimpleMoon$0.99
MOON
- MOON Pro Yearly (NT)$11.991 Year
- MOON Pro Yearly3 Days trial$11.991 Year
- MOON Pro Yearly3 Days trial$19.991 Year
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- MOON Pro Yearly$19.991 Year
- MOON Limited Time Offer$19.991 Year
- MOON Pro Yearly 50% Off3 Days trial$19.991 Year
- MOON Pro (Yearly)3 Days trial$24.991 Year
- MOON Pro (Yearly NT)$24.991 Year
- MOON Ambassador$4.99
- MOON Supporter$9.99
- MOON Patron$49.99
