AstroAid vs ISS Detector
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AstroAid
Visualize what you'll see through your telescope with different eyepieces and optical aids. Plan your astrophotography by pairing cameras with telescopes to see what fits in the frame. Includes astronomical catalogs and equipment lists.
- Telescope/eyepiece/imager field of view simulation
- Magnification and visual magnitude limit calculation
- Built-in astronomical object catalogs (Messier, NGC, IC)
- Searchable object catalogs with downloadable images
- Extensive equipment lists with custom entry support
- iCloud synchronization for custom equipment
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AstroAid is an app for amateur astronomers that functions as an aid to visualizing what you will see through your telescope/camera lens when you use a particular eyepiece and, optionally, an optical aid (such as a Barlow lens). You can also pair a camera/imager with a telescope and determine what your camera/imager will see in its frame. This will be a big help for astro-imagers. The app computes a number of parameters for your telescope/eyepiece/imager combination, such as magnification, actual field of view, visual magnitude limit, etc. and displays these values in tabular form. Several astronomical catalogues are built in to the app (including Messier, NGC, IC, and many other object catalogues), and will be updated on-line occasionally. Images for these objects can be downloaded. All catalogues can be searched. The app contains extensive lists of known vendor-supplied telescopes, camera lenses, eyepieces, imagers, and optical aids. You can also create your own custom entries if your equipment isn't listed (for example, if you made your own telescope). These custom entries are shared between your devices via iCloud (if available).
ISS Detector
Easily track the International Space Station and other satellites. Receive timely alarms before passes and get weather condition checks for optimal viewing. Enhance functionality with optional in-app purchases to discover more celestial objects.
- ISS tracking and alerts
- Weather condition checks
- Alarm notifications
- Track Starlink trains
- Track Hubble telescope
- Track amateur radio satellites
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Have you seen the International Space Station? It is visible with the naked eye! This is the easiest way to spot the station. ISS Detector will tell you when and where to look for the ISS. You get an alarm a few minutes before a pass. You will never miss it. ISS Detector will also check if the weather conditions are right. A clear sky is perfect for spotting. Premium will enhance the functionality of ISS Detector. With the subscription you can add many famous satellites and amateur radio satellites. See the Starlink satellite trains, Hubble space telescope, rocket bodies, Vanguard 1 and many bright satellites. Available categories in Premium: Radio Amateur Satellites: Track dozens of ham and weather satellites. Starlink: Track Starlink satellite trains. Famous Objects: Hubble Space Telescope, rocket bodies, bright satellites and more. Comets: Find comets in the night sky. You might need binoculars or a telescope to see them Planets: Find all the planets Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: ISS Detector at Free against AstroAid's $2.99. ISS Detector also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (729 vs 44). AstroAid's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and ads (none vs shown). On 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
ISS Detector is free to download; AstroAid costs $2.99 up front. ISS Detector sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. AstroAid asks for nothing beyond the download.
ISS Detector holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ISS Detector has 729 ratings behind it against 44, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of AstroAid's written reviews are positive against 55% of ISS Detector's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
AstroAid ships an update fortnightly, ISS Detector monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AstroAid | ISS Detector |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.3 (44 ratings) | 4.6 (729 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 71.1% of reviews — better | 55.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 44 | 729 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 125 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | iLanga, Inc. | Derk Vrijdag |
Customer experience
AstroAid
ISS Detector
Bugs and requests
AstroAid
Reported bugs
8 issues- App doesn't open
- App crashes on opening (iOS 14.2)
- App crashes after update (12.1)
- Crashes when adding new scope
- Keeps quitting when making custom eyepieces
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- Crashing on iOS 11
- App crashes when entering decimal points or spaces in custom data
- Reinstall needed after last update
Requested features
13 requests- Update equipment database (cameras, scopes, sensors)
- Include planets in object database
- Allow image rotation
- Provide un-cropped images (optional)
- Add solar system images (Sun, Moon, planets)
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- Add ability to exchange north/south
- Add filter support
- Add exposure simulator for imaging
- Add slider for planet rotation
- Update to 64-bit requirement
- Add more custom equipment options
- Improve night mode contrast
- Update optics list (e.g., TS-Optics 6“ Hypergraph)
ISS Detector
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
AstroAid
No in-app purchases
ISS Detector
- Premium Access2 variants$0.991 Month
- Donation$1.991 Month
- Premium Access$1.991 Month
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- Premium Access7 Days trial$2.991 Year
- Premium Access7 Days trial$5.991 Year
- Donation2 variants$5.991 Year
- Premium Access7 Days trial$11.991 Year
Questions
Is AstroAid free?
Is ISS Detector free?
Which has better reviews, AstroAid or ISS Detector?
Do AstroAid or ISS Detector have ads?
Which is updated more often, AstroAid or ISS Detector?
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