Dark Sky Meter vs Drone Scanner
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.
Drone Scanner
Transform your device into a drone scanner to track nearby flights in real-time. View detailed flight information, including pilot data and location history, on an interactive map. The app is updated to comply with current EU and US regulations.
- Real-time drone tracking
- Detailed drone information
- Interactive flight map
- Support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi broadcasts
- Flying zone highlighting
- Data export functionality
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The world's first drone Remote ID scanner made by Dronetag. _____ READ BEFORE DOWNLOADING! Limited access to features on some phones is caused by manufacturers’ restrictions. All iOS phones, for example, prohibit app access to Wi-Fi, so only Bluetooth data transmission will work (if and only the drone has an active Remote ID over Bluetooth). It is not a flaw of our app; we cannot fix this, and we don’t deserve negative reviews for these issues. _____ Transform your phone or tablet into a drone scanner and track all the nearby flights over Direct / Broadcast Remote ID standards. Browse real-time data about drones on a detailed map highlighting specific flying space zones. Download Drone Scanner for free and discover what drones fly above your head. Favourite features: - Discover more about drones flying nearby in real-time - Examine detailed information broadcasted by drones via Bluetooth 4, Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi Beacon, and Wi-Fi NAN - Browse a detailed map with your location and all nearby aircraft - Check available data about drones, including real-time height, direction, pilot identification, pilot position, operation description, and location history - Various flying zones marked and highlighted on the map - Easy export of collected data - Continuously updated to reflect the latest EU & US regulations All these features you find in Drone Scanner – a free app for tracking drones. The app is developed by Dronetag, manufacturing devices for remote drone identification. How it works: Anyone can quickly identify what drones are flying in the sky nearby. Direct Remote ID is a feature that transmits live flight data via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to the surrounding area. Drone manufacturers use various technologies to build an identification feature in new drones. Older drone pilots use add-on devices, enabling them to become digitally visible. With hardware on your smartphone, Drone Scanner can receive and read broadcasted data.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Drone Scanner at Free against Dark Sky Meter's $1.99. Drone Scanner also leads on ratings volume (145 vs 6). Dark Sky Meter's advantage is rating (3.8 vs 1.8) and review sentiment (40% vs 16%). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Drone Scanner 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 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drone Scanner has 145 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 16% of Drone Scanner's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dark Sky Meter | Drone Scanner |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.8 (6 ratings) — better | 1.8 (145 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 40.4% of reviews — better | 15.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 145 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #183 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | DDQ | Dronetag |
Customer experience
Dark Sky Meter
Drone Scanner
Bugs and requests
Dark Sky Meter
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Drone Scanner
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes on launch
- Unable to locate drones in proximity
- Inaccurate location tracking
Requested features
3 requests- Add support for WiFi-based Remote ID
- Add support for more drone models
- Allow changing units from metric to imperial
In-app purchases
Dark Sky Meter
No in-app purchases
Drone Scanner
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Dark Sky Meter free?
Is Drone Scanner free?
Which has better reviews, Dark Sky Meter or Drone Scanner?
Do Dark Sky Meter or Drone Scanner have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dark Sky Meter or Drone Scanner?
Other comparisons
