# Sky Guide vs Sky Tonight

The clearest difference is ads: Sky Guide at none against Sky Tonight's shown. Sky Guide also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (379K vs 76K). Sky Tonight's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment 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 Sky Tonight sells 8 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 4.8 for Sky Tonight. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 379K and 76K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Sky Guide's written reviews are positive against 81% of Sky Tonight's.

Sky Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, Sky Tonight every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sky Guide | Sky Tonight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (379K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-guide/id576588894/reviews)** | [4.8 (76K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-tonight-stargazing-guide/id1570594940/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **379K** | 76K |
| Positive reviews | **86.0% of reviews** | 80.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#30** | #113 |
| Size | 380 MB | 518 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fifth Star Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/451087546) | [Vito Technology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/289641503) |

## What reviewers say

### Sky Guide

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

**Currently charting:** #30 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


### Sky Tonight

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-tonight-stargazing-guide/id1570594940)

**Currently charting:** #113 Top Grossing · Reference, #146 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

Explore the night sky with this astronomy app. Identify celestial objects, discover upcoming astronomical events, and track their positions. Customize your view, set reminders, and access detailed information for a personalized stargazing experience.

**Highlights:** Real-time interactive sky map, Augmented reality mode, Time Machine for past/future positions, Customizable object filters, Event reminders, Astronomy calendar with weather forecast, Flexible search for celestial objects

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-month Premium Access | $0.99 | per month |
| 1-month Premium Access | $2.99 | per month |
| 1-month Premium Access | $2.99 | per month |
| 1-year Premium Access | $4.99 | per year |
| 1-year Premium Access | $5.99 | per year |
| 1-year Premium Access | $5.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium Access Sale | $7.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Access | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for finding new things
- 🌟 Amazing and accurate
- 🔭 Helpful for learning about the night sky
- 🗓️ Provides calendar of sky events
- 🌍 Shows satellites and planets

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficult to calibrate and use
- 📢 Too many intrusive ads
- 💰 Paywall for many features
- 🔔 Confusing/unnecessary notifications
- 🧭 Compass/location issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes frequently
- Menus and options not working properly
- Location tracking and sky view not updating correctly

**Requested features**

- Add more free content and features
- Improve calibration and compass accuracy
- Provide better onboarding and instructions
- Reduce ads or offer ad-free version
- Allow filtering by visible objects only


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sky Guide free?

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

### Is Sky Tonight free?

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

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

Sky Guide is rated higher. Sky Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 379K ratings, while Sky Tonight averages 4.8 from 76K ratings.

### Do Sky Guide or Sky Tonight have ads?

Sky Tonight shows ads; Sky Guide does not.

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

Sky Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, and Sky Tonight every 2 months. Most recently, Sky Guide was updated on November 1, 2026 and Sky Tonight on November 1, 2026.

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

Sky Guide currently peaks at #30 in the App Store charts, and Sky Tonight at #113. 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.*