# Sky Guide vs IPC Shows

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: IPC Shows at none against Sky Guide's 6. IPC Shows also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 18.0). Sky Guide's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sky Guide sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. IPC Shows asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sky Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, IPC Shows every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sky Guide | IPC Shows |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (377K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-guide/id576588894/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **377K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#19** | — |
| Size | 380 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Fifth Star Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/451087546) | [IPC International, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/947095434) |

## What reviewers say

### Sky Guide

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

**Currently charting:** #19 Top Free · Reference, #23 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


### IPC Shows

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipc-shows/id947095435)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sky Guide free?

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

### Is IPC Shows free?

IPC Shows is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Sky Guide or IPC Shows have ads?

IPC Shows shows ads; Sky Guide does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sky Guide or IPC Shows?

Sky Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, and IPC Shows every 3 months. Most recently, Sky Guide was updated on October 17, 2026 and IPC Shows 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.*