# Sky Guide vs Star Tracker Lite

The clearest difference is ads: Sky Guide at none against Star Tracker Lite's shown. Sky Guide also leads on ratings volume (374K vs 2.1K) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Star Tracker Lite's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, 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 Star Tracker Lite sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sky Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sky Guide has 374K ratings behind it against 2.1K, 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 73% of Star Tracker Lite's.

Sky Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, Star Tracker Lite every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sky Guide | Star Tracker Lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (374K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-guide/id576588894/reviews)** | [4.6 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-tracker-lite-live-sky-map/id780172278/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **374K** | 2.1K |
| Positive reviews | **86.0% of reviews** | 73.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#24** | — |
| Size | 379 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fifth Star Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/451087546) | [身吉 潘](https://appshunter.io/developer/341563645) |

## What reviewers say

### Sky Guide

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

**Currently charting:** #24 Top Grossing · Reference, #31 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


### Star Tracker Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-tracker-lite-live-sky-map/id780172278)

Explore the universe by pointing your device at the sky. Identify stars, constellations, and deep sky objects in real-time. Features offline data, a 3D compass in AR mode, and detailed graphics for an immersive stargazing experience.

**Highlights:** Offline celestial data, Identify stars, constellations, planets, Augmented reality compass, Automatic location setting, High-quality graphics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Full version | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate star and planet tracking
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 🌌 Helpful for learning about the night sky
- 🤩 Visually appealing and engaging
- 🔍 Useful for identifying celestial objects

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional location/compass issues
- 🤔 Inaccurate positioning of celestial objects
- 🙄 Cluttered or confusing interface
- 💰 Paid version not worth the cost
- 🔍 Limited functionality in free version

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes
- Incorrect location/orientation detection
- Paid features not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to track comets and asteroids
- More detailed information on celestial objects
- Customizable display options
- Improved search and navigation
- Integration with other astronomy apps/tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sky Guide free?

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

### Is Star Tracker Lite free?

Star Tracker Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sky Guide or Star Tracker Lite?

Sky Guide is rated higher. Sky Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 374K ratings, while Star Tracker Lite averages 4.6 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do Sky Guide or Star Tracker Lite have ads?

Star Tracker Lite shows ads; Sky Guide does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sky Guide or Star Tracker Lite?

Sky Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, and Star Tracker Lite every 3 weeks. Most recently, Sky Guide was updated on September 25, 2026 and Star Tracker Lite on September 24, 2026.

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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.*