# Sky Guide vs The Sky by Redshift

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Sky Guide at 374K against The Sky by Redshift's 811. Sky Guide also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (86% vs 69%). The Sky by Redshift's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sky Guide sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and The Sky by Redshift sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 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 The Sky by Redshift. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sky Guide has 374K ratings behind it against 811, 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 69% of The Sky by Redshift's.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Sky Guide | The Sky by Redshift |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (374K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-guide/id576588894/reviews)** | [4.7 (811 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-sky-by-redshift/id1481867620/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **374K** | 811 |
| Positive reviews | **86.0% of reviews** | 69.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#35** | — |
| Size | 379 MB | 472 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fifth Star Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/451087546) | [United Soft Media Verlag GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/330111789) |

## What reviewers say

### Sky Guide

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

**Currently charting:** #35 Top Free · Reference, #35 Top Grossing · 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


### The Sky by Redshift

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-sky-by-redshift/id1481867620)

This app is a powerful yet easy-to-use planetarium that acts as your daily astronomy companion. Simply point your device at the sky to identify planets, stars, and constellations, and explore celestial objects with detailed views and informative explanations.

**Highlights:** Identify stars, planets, and constellations, Track celestial object paths, Simulate astronomical events, Explore deep-space objects, Learn about astronomical phenomena, Eclipse timetable and simulation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Sky Premium 1 Month | $0.99 | per month |
| The Sky Premium 1 Year | $3.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Expertly done
- 👍 Works well
- 👍 Beautiful and accurate
- 👍 Fun to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Too many ads
- 🔍 Intrusive advertising
- 🔍 Information banner not useful

**Reported bugs**

- Unauthorized access to private systems

**Requested features**

- Red light option to preserve night vision
- Smaller, less obtrusive pointer
- More features and accurate information


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sky Guide free?

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

### Is The Sky by Redshift free?

The Sky by Redshift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sky Guide or The Sky by Redshift?

Sky Guide is rated higher. Sky Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 374K ratings, while The Sky by Redshift averages 4.7 from 811 ratings.

### Do Sky Guide or The Sky by Redshift have ads?

Neither Sky Guide nor The Sky by Redshift shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sky Guide or The Sky by Redshift?

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

---

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