# Sky Guide vs Orbitrack

The clearest difference is price: Sky Guide at Free against Orbitrack's $4.99. Sky Guide also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (374K vs 962). Orbitrack's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.0). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Sky Guide is free to download; Orbitrack costs $4.99 up front. Sky Guide sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Orbitrack asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Sky Guide against 4.7 for Orbitrack. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sky Guide has 374K ratings behind it against 962, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Sky Guide's written reviews are positive against 76% of Orbitrack's.

Sky Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, Orbitrack every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sky Guide | Orbitrack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (374K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-guide/id576588894/reviews)** | [4.7 (962 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbitrack/id1092984911/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **374K** | 962 |
| Positive reviews | **86.0% of reviews** | 75.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#19** | #62 |
| Size | 379 MB | 138 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fifth Star Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/451087546) | [Southern Stars Group, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/437108146) |

## What reviewers say

### Sky Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-guide/id576588894)

**Currently charting:** #19 Top Grossing · Reference, #37 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

Identify stars, constellations, planets, and satellites in real-time by holding your device overhead. Explore celestial bodies with AR overlays, track satellites like the ISS, and travel through time to view past and future astronomical events. Perfect for both novice and experienced stargazers.

**Highlights:** Automatic celestial object identification, Augmented reality sky overlay, Satellite tracking and notifications, Time travel for past/future viewing, Personalized astronomical event calendar, Offline functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PLUS | $4.99 | per month |
| PRO | $8.99 | per month |
| PLUS | $39.99 | per year |
| PRO | $59.99 | per year |
| All Constellations | $1.99 | one-time |
| PRO Lifetime | $249.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Stunning visuals and graphics
- 📚 Wealth of information on celestial objects
- 🧭 Accurate and responsive compass/AR features
- 🌌 Immersive stargazing experience
- 🔍 Ability to identify stars, planets, and satellites

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🧭 Occasional compass/location calibration issues
- 💰 Subscription model limits access to some features
- 🌍 Lack of support for certain regions/locations
- 🕰️ Outdated information on some celestial objects

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes when near polar regions
- Occasional crashes or performance issues

**Requested features**

- Add more detailed information on moons of planets
- Implement mosaic planning tools for astrophotography
- Provide earlier notifications for satellite/ISS passes
- Allow users to share their observations and photos
- Improve integration with telescope/camera equipment


### Orbitrack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orbitrack/id1092984911)

**Currently charting:** #62 Top Paid · Reference (US App Store)

Explore thousands of satellites in orbit with this augmented and virtual reality spaceflight simulator. Visualize spacecraft, track their paths, and learn about their missions with detailed 3D models and real-time data. Experience space from a new perspective.

**Highlights:** Augmented and Virtual Reality modes, Track over 5000 spacecraft, Detailed 3D satellite models, Voice-controlled VR, Radio frequency data for amateur satellites, Real-time satellite data updates, Time Flow controls

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great features
- 👍 User-friendly
- 💡 Innovative tracking
- 🔍 Detailed satellite information
- 🌍 Realistic Earth and sky views

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤑 Paid app
- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🔊 Annoying music
- 🗺️ Outdated satellite data
- 🔍 Inaccurate magnitude estimates

**Reported bugs**

- Motion tracking issues
- Stuck on old date
- Accelerometer not working
- Satellite positions not accurate

**Requested features**

- Sort by magnitude feature
- Favorite satellites option
- Customizable field of view
- Notifications for visible passes
- Metric/imperial toggle


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sky Guide free?

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

### Is Orbitrack free?

Orbitrack costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Sky Guide or Orbitrack?

Sky Guide is rated higher. Sky Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 374K ratings, while Orbitrack averages 4.7 from 962 ratings.

### Do Sky Guide or Orbitrack have ads?

Neither Sky Guide nor Orbitrack shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sky Guide or Orbitrack?

Sky Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, and Orbitrack every 4 months. Most recently, Sky Guide was updated on September 25, 2026 and Orbitrack on September 21, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Sky Guide or Orbitrack?

Sky Guide currently peaks at #19 in the App Store charts, and Orbitrack at #62. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*