# PhotoPills vs SNLSimMagic

The clearest difference is price: SNLSimMagic at Free against PhotoPills's $10.99. SNLSimMagic also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). PhotoPills's advantage is ratings volume (1.5K vs 3) and chart position (#14 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

SNLSimMagic is free to download; PhotoPills costs $10.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SNLSimMagic holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PhotoPills has 1.5K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PhotoPills | SNLSimMagic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $10.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photopills/id596026805/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snlsimmagic/id929264621/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 84.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#14** | — |
| Size | 41 MB | 241 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PhotoPills S.L.](https://appshunter.io/developer/596026808) | [Sandia Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/549258801) |

## What reviewers say

### PhotoPills

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photopills/id596026805)

**Currently charting:** #14 Top Paid · Photo & Video, #81 Top Paid (US App Store)

Plan and capture stunning photos of the sun, moon, and Milky Way. This app helps you visualize celestial events and landscape compositions with advanced planning tools and augmented reality.

**Highlights:** 2D Map-Centric Planner (Sun, Moon, Milky Way), 3D Augmented Reality Views, Celestial Event Finder, Photo Plans Manager, Location Scouting Tool, Calculators (Long Exposure, Timelapse, etc.)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Comprehensive planning tools
- 🚀 Powerful features for astrophotography
- 💡 Excellent tutorials and support
- 🌟 Indispensable for photographers
- ⭐ Incredible value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Steep learning curve
- 🤯 Overwhelming complexity
- 🤖 Confusing user interface
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🗺️ Inaccurate location tracking

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when using depth of field calculator
- Location settings not persisting between sessions
- Milky Way position not aligning correctly

**Requested features**

- User guide in multiple languages
- Improved integration with other apps
- More customization options
- Weather forecast integration
- Apple Watch companion app


### SNLSimMagic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snlsimmagic/id929264621)

Experience augmented reality by scanning images in Sandia National Laboratories' High Performance Computing documents. Watch associated simulation movie clips play directly on your iPhone or iPad.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality experience, Scan images to trigger content, View simulation movie clips, Compatible with iPhone and iPad, Access content from HPC documents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PhotoPills free?

PhotoPills costs $10.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SNLSimMagic free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PhotoPills or SNLSimMagic?

SNLSimMagic is rated higher. PhotoPills averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while SNLSimMagic averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do PhotoPills or SNLSimMagic have ads?

Neither PhotoPills nor SNLSimMagic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PhotoPills or SNLSimMagic?

PhotoPills ships an update every 2 months, and SNLSimMagic every 2 months. Most recently, PhotoPills was updated on November 6, 2026 and SNLSimMagic on November 1, 2026.

---

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