# Dark Sky Meter vs SkyAtlas

The clearest difference is price: SkyAtlas at Free against Dark Sky Meter's $1.99. SkyAtlas also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). Dark Sky Meter's advantage is rating (3.8 vs 2.4). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

SkyAtlas is free to download; Dark Sky Meter costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Dark Sky Meter holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 17 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 40% and 40% positive.

Dark Sky Meter ships an update every 3 months, SkyAtlas monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dark Sky Meter | SkyAtlas |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-sky-meter/id602989060/reviews)** | [2.4 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyatlas/id1616449238/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **17** |
| Positive reviews | **40.4% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 4 MB | 911 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DDQ](https://appshunter.io/developer/418328467) | [SuZhou ZWO Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1367782033) |

## What reviewers say

### Dark Sky Meter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-sky-meter/id602989060)

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.

**Highlights:** Measures sky brightness, Uses device camera, Optional data sharing, Contributes to scientific research

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### SkyAtlas

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skyatlas/id1616449238)

Explore the night sky with a digital atlas and control your telescope mount. Plan astrophotography compositions with simulated camera fields of view and track celestial objects in real-time. Features one-click GoTo and mode switching for an enhanced stargazing experience.

**Highlights:** Digital sky atlas exploration, Telescope mount control (ZWO ASI), Simulated camera field of view, Real-time telescope pointing display, One-click GoTo functionality, Object tracking, EQ and AltAz mode switching

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dark Sky Meter free?

Dark Sky Meter costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SkyAtlas free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Dark Sky Meter or SkyAtlas?

Dark Sky Meter is rated higher. Dark Sky Meter averages 3.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while SkyAtlas averages 2.4 from 17 ratings.

### Do Dark Sky Meter or SkyAtlas have ads?

Neither Dark Sky Meter nor SkyAtlas shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dark Sky Meter or SkyAtlas?

Dark Sky Meter ships an update every 3 months, and SkyAtlas monthly. Most recently, Dark Sky Meter was updated on November 1, 2026 and SkyAtlas on October 24, 2026.

---

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