Comparison

Catálogo Messier vs SUNSCAN

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head

About

Catálogo Messier

Features

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Simple application to have the Messier catalogue of objects on your mobile phone and be able to consult its most relevant information. Add your favourite objects to the list of favourites for quicker access. Filter the list of objects by visibility according to your current location.

About

SUNSCAN

Features

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The Sunscan is a revolutionary spectroheliograph designed to allow you to capture images of the Sun in minutes, directly from your smartphone. This complete and autonomous device is the result of several months of work by our team of enthusiasts. With the Sunscan, you will be able to explore the wonders of the Sun like never before. Thanks to our dedicated application, you will be able to control the Sunscan directly from your smartphone or tablet, making the experience even more intuitive and accessible. You will be able to make observations very simply and obtain images of our star automatically without any special knowledge, showing prominences, flares or even sunspots.

Screenshots

Catálogo Messier4 screens

SUNSCAN3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SUNSCAN at none against Catálogo Messier's 1. SUNSCAN also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 7 months). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Catálogo Messier sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SUNSCAN asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Catálogo Messier ships an update every 7 months, SUNSCAN weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level

Catálogo Messier versus SUNSCAN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter	Catálogo Messier	SUNSCAN
Price	Free	Free
Update frequency	Every 7 months	Weekly — better
Ads	No	No
In-app purchases	Yes	No — better
Devices	iPhone, iPad, iPod	iPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS	15.6	15.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size	19 MB	48 MB
Age rating	4+	9+
Developer	Pablo Morcillo Perez	STAROS

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Catálogo Messier

One-time1

Messier Catalogue Pro$2.99

None

SUNSCAN

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Catálogo Messier free?

Catálogo Messier is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

Is SUNSCAN free?

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

Do Catálogo Messier or SUNSCAN have ads?

Neither Catálogo Messier nor SUNSCAN shows ads.

Which is updated more often, Catálogo Messier or SUNSCAN?

Catálogo Messier ships an update every 7 months, and SUNSCAN weekly. Most recently, Catálogo Messier was updated on November 7, 2026 and SUNSCAN on October 25, 2026.