Dark Sky Meter vs Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dark Sky Meter
This application utilizes your device's camera to measure the brightness of the night sky. The collected data can be optionally shared with scientific researchers worldwide.
- Measures sky brightness
- Uses device camera
- Optional data sharing
- Contributes to scientific research
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The Dark Sky Meter app measures the sky brightness using the camera and shares it (optionally) with scientists around the globe.
Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite
This app turns your phone into a scientific instrument suite, measuring sound, light, magnetism, motion, and more. It's ideal for students, educators, researchers, and hobbyists to record, analyze, and export real-time sensor data for experiments and research.
- Measure sound, light, magnetism, and motion
- Record, analyze, and export real-time data
- AR visualization for magnetic fields and measurements
- Includes barometer, GPS, and ruler functions
- Data-verified challenges for interactive learning
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Whether you’re a student, educator, researcher, or hobbyist, Physics Toolbox transforms your smartphone’s built-in sensors into a powerful suite of scientific instruments. Easily measure, record, analyze, and export real-time data for a variety of uses—from classroom experiments to cutting-edge research. KINEMATICS G-Force Meter Linear Accelerometer Gyroscope Inclinometer Motion Visualizer (LiDAR-tracked position and velocity) ACOUSTICS Sound Meter Tone Detector Tone Generator Oscilloscope Spectrum Analyzer Spectrogram LIGHT Light Meter Color Detector Proximeter Stroboscope MAGNETISM Compass Magnetometer Magna-AR (AR visualization of magnetic field vectors) OTHER Barometer GPS - latitude, longitude, altitude, speed, direction, number of satellites Ruler-AR (AR-estimated measurements) COMBINATION Multi Record Roller Coaster GAME Play (data-verified challenges)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite at Free against Dark Sky Meter's $1.99. Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.8) and review sentiment (81% vs 40%). Dark Sky Meter's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#71 vs unranked). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite is free to download; Dark Sky Meter costs $1.99 up front. Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Dark Sky Meter asks for nothing beyond the download.
Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite has 1.8K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Dark Sky Meter's written reviews are positive against 81% of Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite's.
Dark Sky Meter ships an update every 3 months, Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite weekly. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.
| Parameter | Dark Sky Meter | Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.8 (6 ratings) | 4.7 (1.8K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 40.4% of reviews | 80.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 1.8K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #71 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 89 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | DDQ | Chrystian Vieyra |
Customer experience
Dark Sky Meter
Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite
Bugs and requests
Dark Sky Meter
Reported bugs
9 issues- App crashes frequently
- "Too dark for device" error persists
- Inaccurate measurements
- History of measurements lost after updates
- App does not start after update
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- Cloud button causes crash
- Weather data not functioning
- Camera area display is too small
- Network operations not working
Requested features
8 requests- Option to use front-facing camera
- Automatic dark and light measurements
- Local time display instead of UTC
- Calibration function to add offset
- List of observations to be restored
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Include cloud cover data in map view
- Store own measurements for documentation
- Information on Seeing and Transparency scales
Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Dark Sky Meter
No in-app purchases
Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite
- Upgrade to Pro$5.99
Questions
Is Dark Sky Meter free?
Is Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite free?
Which has better reviews, Dark Sky Meter or Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite?
Do Dark Sky Meter or Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dark Sky Meter or Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite?
Other comparisons
