Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon) vs Solar Eclipse Timer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon)
This app helps photographers, filmmakers, and other professionals plan shots by visualizing sun and moon paths, predicting celestial events, and analyzing light conditions. It offers augmented reality views, interactive maps, and detailed ephemeris data for effective location scouting and planning.
- Augmented reality sun and moon path projections
- Interactive map with Street View
- Golden hour and blue hour prediction
- Milky Way and star trail planning
- Sun shadow length calculation
- Offline location saving and loading
Read full descriptionHide full description
Sun Surveyor takes the mystery out of the sunrise, sunset, and moon phases, allowing photographers and filmmakers to scout the best locations, plan effectively, and get the perfect shot. The Live Camera View, Interactive Map (with Street View), 3D Compass, and detailed Ephemeris provide a wealth of information about the largest natural light source in the galaxy, as well as the moon, and milky way: - View augmented reality projections of the sun and moon paths, pinpoint the time the sun or moon will be at a particular location in the sky - Predict and plan for the golden hour, blue hour and every sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moonset - Prepare night photography shots with the Milky Way & star trail features Solar Industry (PV) Professionals, architects, real estate agents, and gardeners will also find a wealth of empowering interactive features: - Show clients the quality and quantity of seasonal sunlight at a given location - Understand potential shade of surroundings and discover any obstructions - Create images of the summer and winter Solstice & Equinox paths for a site Additional features: - Photo Opportunities - an interactive listing of critical times to help inspire and generate shot ideas; including the full moon looming low in the sky during magic hour, total darkness for stargazing, and more - Position Search - an extremely powerful tool to search for sun, moon and milky way center positions within various constraints, for the perfectionist planner - Widgets - plenty of configurable widgets for your home screen and today view (iOS 14+) - Visual time machine - take a quick glance at the light for a day, or dial in desired compositions easily - Moon distance, age, apogee, perigee, super moon predictions - Sun shadow information - calculate the length of shadows cast by objects - Helpful video tutorials show how to use all of the app's modules and how to shoot specific types of scenes - Share details and locations with clients and colleagues - Offline usage (excludes Map View, Street View) - enter coordinates, save & load locations with no data connection or GPS available - Measure distance, and difference between elevations, and vertical angle differentials with the Map view - Import and export Google Earth .kmz/.kml locations - Magnetic declination compensation - "Today" Widget - (for the pull-down notification center) shows rise and set times for the current location and the next upcoming sun event - Languages: English, Deutsch, Français, 日本語, Italiano, Español, Català, русский, Norsk (Bokmål), Dansk, Nederlands, 中文 (繁體), 中文 (简体), 한국어, čeština, Türkçe, Português (Portugal & Brasil), Polski
Solar Eclipse Timer
This app provides precise countdowns and reminders for solar eclipse phenomena, aiding both casual observers and photographers. It works offline and offers features like automatic partial-phase image timing and a dedicated photographer mode.
- Offline eclipse timing
- Precise contact time calculation
- Photographer mode
- Automatic partial-phase image timing
- Geolocation and manual coordinate entry
- Audio and notification tests
Read full descriptionHide full description
The Solar Eclipse Timer app is marking its 6th eclipse since 2017, which speaks volumes about its reliability and the trust it has built within the eclipse-chasing community. Helping tens of thousands of people enjoy the eclipse more by being reminded to observe all the fascinating eclipse phenomena. Photographers are aided by down-to-the-second precision and countdowns. Since the 2026 path covers some remote areas as well as high-traffic spots in Spain where cell service could be overwhelmed on eclipse day, the app works offline once unlocked. So, geolocation and contact time calculation are all done within the app. This makes it a true "field tool." The app is free to try, and for only a $1.99 in-app purchase to unlock the 2026 eclipse, it's an easy "yes" for anyone who has invested time and travel to be in the path of totality. In-App Video Tutorial: The first button on the Home Screen provides a comprehensive tutorial that explains all the app's functions and how to use them effectively. Audio and Notification Tests: The second button lets users run a "device sound check" to confirm that audio cues, spoken timings, and notifications are audible, which is critical since the app is designed to talk to you. Practice Session Video: The third button launches a 4-minute-45-second video of my actual eclipse-day observation site in 2024, synchronized with the app's real-time announcements. This allows both observers and photographers to practice their routines repeatedly, such as observing for shadow bands, adjusting shutter speeds, and knowing when to remove solar filters. Additionally, dialogue boxes appear as functions are selected, giving you more guidance. On eclipse day, after you get into the path, you can be timing the eclipse in 3 easy steps: 1. Tap to geolocate. 2. Tap to have the app calculate the precise contact times. 3. Tap to load the times into the timer. That's it! You are timing the eclipse. A major convenience feature of the app is the automatic calculation of the clock times needed to capture a perfect set of partial-phase images before and after totality. It is the only app in the world with this function. Collaborating with the late Fred Espenak (Mr. Eclipse) on Photographers Mode before the 2024 eclipse gives the app an incredible pedigree. For pros who need to stay "in the zone" and only care about timing and countdowns from C1 through C4, this mode is a game-changer. You can manually enter coordinates and save the site as a file. This helps compare multiple potential viewing locations. The app includes a hyperlink to the Solar Eclipse Timer website, which gives access to downloadable worksheets to record your partial-phase image times or the chores you want to do in Photographers mode, as well as my Master Stop Chart to count full and partial camera stops. I have observed and photographed six total solar eclipses and one annular eclipse. The concept of an eclipse “talking” timer was developed by me in 2002. I have been helping people time eclipses for almost 25 years. When you use the app, you will appreciate that it was designed by an eclipse chaser. There is also a link to learn more about my comprehensive eclipse observation and photography book, now in its second edition, titled “Eclipse Day.” The app also has a partial eclipse timing mode. This app is ad-free and does not track any user data. ALWAYS USE EYE PROTECTION DURING THE PARTIAL PHASES OF A SOLAR ECLIPSE! OR EVEN WHEN IT IS BRIGHT! NOT DOING SO CAN CAUSE EYE DAMAGE! We are NOT liable for misuse of the app, causing inaccurate timing, or the lack of eye safety precautions during the observation of a solar eclipse. The "glasses off" and "glasses on" statements are guides based on the calculated contact times. The timing can be affected by your phone's clock and the shape of the shadow due to the edge of the lunar limb. Use the Adjust buttons for Lunar Limb variation time adjustments. Glasses should be ON if it's bright!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Solar Eclipse Timer at Free against Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon)'s $9.99. Solar Eclipse Timer also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16). Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon)'s advantage is rating (4.8 vs 3.8) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). On ratings volume, ads and device support 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
Solar Eclipse Timer is free to download; Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon) costs $9.99 up front. Solar Eclipse Timer sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon) asks for nothing beyond the download.
Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon) holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 280 and 560 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon)'s written reviews are positive against 68% of Solar Eclipse Timer's.
Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon) ships an update every 3 months, Solar Eclipse Timer monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon) | Solar Eclipse Timer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (280 ratings) — better | 3.8 (560 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 81.8% of reviews — better | 68.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 280 | 560 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #25 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 231 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Adam Ratana | Foxwood Astronomy, LLC. |
Customer experience
Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon)
Solar Eclipse Timer
Bugs and requests
Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon)
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Solar Eclipse Timer
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashing when loading timing data
- Notifications not working when camera is in use
- Incorrect contact times displayed for some locations
Requested features
5 requests- Customizable reminders or timers
- Automatic time zone and location updates
- Lunar eclipse support
- Improved onboarding and tutorial
- Countdown timer with graphical depiction
In-app purchases
Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon)
No in-app purchases
Solar Eclipse Timer
- Total - 7/2/19; Chile, Argenti$1.99
- Total - 12/14/20; Chile, Argen$1.99
- Total – 12/4/21; Antarctica$1.99
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Hybrid – 4/20/23; Australia$1.99
- Total – 4/8/24; USA, Mexico$1.99
- Solar Eclipse Timer$1.99
Questions
Is Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon) free?
Is Solar Eclipse Timer free?
Which has better reviews, Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon) or Solar Eclipse Timer?
Do Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon) or Solar Eclipse Timer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon) or Solar Eclipse Timer?
Other comparisons















