# Dark Sky Meter vs SQM Mobile

The clearest difference is price: SQM Mobile at Free against Dark Sky Meter's $1.99. SQM Mobile also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months). Dark Sky Meter's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

SQM Mobile 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 ships an update every 3 months, SQM Mobile every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dark Sky Meter | SQM Mobile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-sky-meter/id602989060/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **6** | — |
| Positive reviews | 40.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DDQ](https://appshunter.io/developer/418328467) | [GerSpatial](https://appshunter.io/developer/504662245) |

## 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


### SQM Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sqm-mobile/id6753923113)

**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 SQM Mobile free?

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

### Do Dark Sky Meter or SQM Mobile have ads?

Neither Dark Sky Meter nor SQM Mobile shows ads.

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

Dark Sky Meter ships an update every 3 months, and SQM Mobile every 4 weeks. Most recently, Dark Sky Meter was updated on October 23, 2026 and SQM Mobile on October 12, 2026.

---

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