# Sky Guide vs areoHDR

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Sky Guide at 377K against areoHDR's 4. Sky Guide also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and chart position (#24 vs unranked). areoHDR's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and review sentiment (100% vs 86%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sky Guide sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and areoHDR sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

areoHDR holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sky Guide has 377K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Sky Guide's written reviews are positive against 100% of areoHDR's.

Sky Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, areoHDR every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sky Guide | areoHDR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (377K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-guide/id576588894/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/areohdr/id6738591240/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **377K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 86.0% of reviews | **100.0% 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 | **#24** | — |
| Size | 380 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fifth Star Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/451087546) | [Holger Isenberg](https://appshunter.io/developer/1781325312) |

## What reviewers say

### Sky Guide

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

**Currently charting:** #24 Top Grossing · Reference, #33 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


### areoHDR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/areohdr/id6738591240)

Experience real images from the Mars Perseverance Rover in high dynamic range (HDR) and color calibrated for human vision. Navigate through sols and images, zoom in, and access a Mars calendar. The free version offers access to the latest 200 sols.

**Highlights:** High Dynamic Range (HDR) Mars images, Color calibrated for human vision, Navigate sols and images, Zoom and rotate controls, Mars calendar feature, Access to latest 200 sols (free)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mars 2020 monthly renewing | $1.99 | per month |
| Mars 2020 1 week non-renewing | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sky Guide free?

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

### Is areoHDR free?

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

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

areoHDR is rated higher. Sky Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 377K ratings, while areoHDR averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Sky Guide or areoHDR have ads?

Neither Sky Guide nor areoHDR shows ads.

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

Sky Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, and areoHDR every 2 months. Most recently, Sky Guide was updated on October 17, 2026 and areoHDR on October 7, 2026.

---

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