# Sky Guide vs SkySafari

The clearest difference is price: Sky Guide at Free against SkySafari's $0.99. Sky Guide also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 64%) and ratings volume (374K vs 18K). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Sky Guide is free to download; SkySafari costs $0.99 up front. Sky Guide sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and SkySafari sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Sky Guide against 4.7 for SkySafari. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sky Guide has 374K ratings behind it against 18K, 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 64% of SkySafari's.

Sky Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, SkySafari monthly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sky Guide | SkySafari |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (374K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-guide/id576588894/reviews)** | [4.7 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari/id1257281849/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **374K** | 18K |
| Positive reviews | **86.0% of reviews** | 63.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #22 | **#11** |
| Size | 379 MB | 859 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fifth Star Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/451087546) | [Simulation Curriculum Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/791341744) |

## What reviewers say

### Sky Guide

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

**Currently charting:** #22 Top Grossing · Reference, #32 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


### SkySafari

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari/id1257281849)

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Paid · Reference (US App Store)

This powerful pocket planetarium helps you explore the night sky. Identify celestial objects by pointing your device, view astrophotography, and plan your stargazing with real-time visibility information. Offers guided tours and pronunciation guides for a comprehensive learning experience.

**Highlights:** Point and identify stars, planets, and constellations, Explore astrophotography in the Image Gallery, View real-time sky visibility in 'Sky Tonight', Simulate the sky across time and locations, Access guided audio tours and pronunciation guides, Night Vision mode for dark observation

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SkySafari Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| SkySafari Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Apollo Lunar Missions | Free | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly
- 🚀 Accurate sky mapping
- 🌌 Detailed information on celestial objects
- 💡 Helpful for stargazing and astronomy
- 🔭 Useful for telescope owners

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🤑 Excessive upselling and in-app purchases
- 🤯 Confusing version and feature differences
- 🙄 Intrusive notifications and sounds
- 🤔 Difficult to use some features

**Reported bugs**

- Compass not working correctly
- Disappearing or missing objects
- Time travel feature issues
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to hide toolbar and UI elements
- More customization options
- Improved telescope integration
- Better comet and new object tracking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sky Guide free?

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

### Is SkySafari free?

SkySafari costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

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

Sky Guide is rated higher. Sky Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 374K ratings, while SkySafari averages 4.7 from 18K ratings.

### Do Sky Guide or SkySafari have ads?

Neither Sky Guide nor SkySafari shows ads.

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

Sky Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, and SkySafari monthly. Most recently, Sky Guide was updated on September 25, 2026 and SkySafari on September 25, 2026.

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

Sky Guide currently peaks at #22 in the App Store charts, and SkySafari at #11. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*