# AstroShader vs AstroFileViewer

The clearest difference is price: AstroFileViewer at Free against AstroShader's $1.99. AstroFileViewer also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and review sentiment (100% vs 61%). AstroShader's advantage is ratings volume (105 vs 1) and chart position (#17 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

AstroFileViewer is free to download; AstroShader costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

AstroFileViewer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AstroShader has 105 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of AstroShader's written reviews are positive against 100% of AstroFileViewer's.

AstroShader ships an update every 3 weeks, AstroFileViewer every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AstroShader | AstroFileViewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.2 (105 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astroshader/id6444631986/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astrofileviewer/id6760240080/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **105** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 61.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#17** | — |
| Size | 9 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AstroShader Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1655754202) | [Joerg Klaas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1879846001) |

## What reviewers say

### AstroShader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astroshader/id6444631986)

**Currently charting:** #17 Top Paid · Photo & Video, #147 Top Paid (US App Store)

Capture, stack, and edit stunning astrophotography directly on your mobile device. This app streamlines the process by aligning and stacking images live during capture, eliminating the need for external software. Fine-tune your celestial images with a comprehensive suite of editing tools.

**Highlights:** Live image alignment and stacking, Manual focus control, Adjustable exposure, ISO, and white balance, Intervalometer for timed captures, Advanced image editing tools, Save in multiple formats including TIFF

**In-app purchases:** none


### AstroFileViewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astrofileviewer/id6760240080)

View astronomical image files like FITS and XISF on your iPhone or iPad. Get an early impression of your data with PixInsight-compatible auto-stretching, gradient control, and noise reduction. Fun and useful for astrophotographers.

**Highlights:** Open FITS and XISF files from various sources, PixInsight-compatible STF auto-stretch, Mono and RGB image support with OSC debayer, Dark point and contrast sliders, Color saturation adjustment, GPU bilateral denoise, Gradient correction

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AstroShader free?

AstroShader costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is AstroFileViewer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, AstroShader or AstroFileViewer?

AstroFileViewer is rated higher. AstroShader averages 4.2 out of 5 from 105 ratings, while AstroFileViewer averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do AstroShader or AstroFileViewer have ads?

Neither AstroShader nor AstroFileViewer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AstroShader or AstroFileViewer?

AstroShader ships an update every 3 weeks, and AstroFileViewer every 11 days. Most recently, AstroShader was updated on October 17, 2026 and AstroFileViewer on October 6, 2026.

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