# SimpleMoon vs MOON

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | SimpleMoon | MOON |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (302 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplemoon-moon-phase/id518753922/reviews)** | [4.8 (29K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moon-current-moon-phase/id660036257/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 302 | **29K** |
| Positive reviews | **86.1% of reviews** | 85.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#69** |
| Size | 20 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tag Along K](https://appshunter.io/developer/716343859) | [MOON CALENDAR](https://appshunter.io/developer/1709661622) |

## 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


### MOON

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moon-current-moon-phase/id660036257)

**Currently charting:** #69 Top Free · Weather, #86 Top Grossing · Weather (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Current moon phase viewing, Lunar event notifications, Home screen widget, Moon phase lookup for any date, Social sharing of moon imagery, Offline functionality

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MOON Pro Yearly (NT) | $11.99 | per year |
| MOON Pro Yearly | $11.99 | per year |
| MOON Pro Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| MOON Pro Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| MOON Limited Time Offer | $19.99 | per year |
| MOON Pro Yearly 50% Off | $19.99 | per year |
| MOON Pro (Yearly) | $24.99 | per year |
| MOON Pro (Yearly NT) | $24.99 | per year |
| MOON Ambassador | $4.99 | one-time |
| MOON Supporter | $9.99 | one-time |
| MOON Patron | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Gorgeous design
- 👍 Accurate moon phase tracking
- 💡 Quirky notification messages
- 🎨 Beautiful widget
- 🙂 Calming and peaceful

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lacking additional moon-related features
- 💰 Subscription model for some features
- 🔊 Loud notification sounds
- 🌍 Not optimized for Southern Hemisphere

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not working for some users
- Moon phase information inaccurate on certain dates

**Requested features**

- Add moon rise and set times
- Include information on lunar events like eclipses
- Allow customization of notification sounds
- Provide Southern Hemisphere moon phase view


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SimpleMoon free?

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

### Is MOON free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SimpleMoon or MOON?

SimpleMoon is rated higher. SimpleMoon averages 4.9 out of 5 from 302 ratings, while MOON averages 4.8 from 29K ratings.

### Do SimpleMoon or MOON have ads?

SimpleMoon shows ads; MOON does not.

### Which is updated more often, SimpleMoon or MOON?

SimpleMoon ships an update every 5 months, and MOON weekly. Most recently, SimpleMoon was updated on September 22, 2026 and MOON on September 24, 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.*