Celestial Dances vs StarHop Navigator
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Celestial Dances
Explore the orbital mechanics of planets, moons, and exoplanets. This app visualizes celestial movements based on concepts from "A Little Book of Coincidence." Discover intriguing patterns and relationships within our solar system and beyond.
- Explore solar system planet motions
- Visualize moon orbits
- Discover exoplanet systems
- Based on 'A Little Book of Coincidence'
- Highlights Earth-Venus relationship
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This app invites you to explore the relative motions of our solar system's planets, their moons, and several exoplanet systems. It is based on ideas presented in "A Little Book of Coincidence" by John Martineau. Are the amazing patterns created by these orbiting bodies just a coincidence, or is something more than that going on? Take a look and see what you think. Be sure to check out the special relationship between the Earth and Venus.
StarHop Navigator
This app guides your manual telescope to celestial objects using your iPhone's sensors. Simply attach your phone, calibrate with a few stars, select a target, and follow the on-screen crosshair to find it in your eyepiece. It's designed for beginners and experienced astronomers alike, offering a straightforward way to explore the night sky.
- Manual push-to guidance
- 2-3 star calibration
- Interactive star chart
- Messier catalog
- Offline functionality
- Observation log
- Apple Watch integration
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Built for real sky navigation - no extra hardware, no cables, no complicated setup. Push-to, not GoTo: StarHop Navigator guides your telescope to deep-sky objects, planets, and stars - using your iPhone's sensors. You move the scope. The app shows you the way. Mount your iPhone to the tube, calibrate on 2–3 known stars, pick a target, and follow the crosshair until the object appears in the eyepiece. Other apps show you the sky. StarHop Navigator helps you find your way through it. WHO IS IT FOR? Beginners who want to understand the night sky. Experienced observers looking for lean support in finding their targets. Anyone with a manual telescope - Dobsonian, altazimuth, or equatorial, without motors. People who love the journey as much as the destination. HOW IT WORKS • Attach your iPhone to the telescope tube • Calibrate on 2–3 known stars • Pick a target on the chart or from the catalog: nebula, galaxy, cluster, planet, or star • Follow the crosshair until the indicator turns green • Look through the eyepiece FEATURES • Manual push-to guidance with 2–3-star calibration • Interactive star chart with constellations, planets, the Moon, and deep-sky objects - printable and exportable • Messier catalog: nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters - plus planets and the Moon • iPad support - more room for the star chart, catalog, and observation planning • iCloud sync (optional) -equipment, observation log, favorites, and notes across all your devices • Observation log, favorites, and equipment management • Bortle slider - adapts star density to your sky • Seasonal observing lists and time travel for planning • StarHop Link - live pointing on iPad/Mac or LX200 connection to planetarium apps • Apple Watch: current target and centering indicator on your wrist • Works fully offline - night mode, no ads, no account needed
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Celestial Dances at Free against StarHop Navigator's $3.99. Celestial Dances also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 18.0). StarHop Navigator's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 30 months). On ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Celestial Dances is free to download; StarHop Navigator costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
StarHop Navigator holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.
Celestial Dances ships an update every 30 months, StarHop Navigator every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Celestial Dances | StarHop Navigator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 30 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 135 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Thomas Bretl | BERNHARD MICHAEL HELPFERER |
Customer experience
Celestial Dances
StarHop Navigator
In-app purchases
Celestial Dances
No in-app purchases
StarHop Navigator
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Celestial Dances free?
Is StarHop Navigator free?
Which has better reviews, Celestial Dances or StarHop Navigator?
Do Celestial Dances or StarHop Navigator have ads?
Which is updated more often, Celestial Dances or StarHop Navigator?
Other comparisons
