# PicoStar vs NightlyStar

The clearest difference is ads: PicoStar at none against NightlyStar's shown. NightlyStar's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 7 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PicoStar sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and NightlyStar sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PicoStar ships an update every 7 months, NightlyStar every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PicoStar | NightlyStar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Size | 16 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Ryan Rudes](https://appshunter.io/developer/1698870132) | [湖北省逸辉科技](https://appshunter.io/developer/1855438193) |

## What reviewers say

### PicoStar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/picostar/id6444901007)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Planetary Expansion Pack | $9.99 | one-time |


### NightlyStar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nightlystar/id6760819791)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cosmic Access – Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Nightly Star Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Cosmic Access – Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Nightly Star Premium Yearly | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PicoStar free?

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

### Is NightlyStar free?

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

### Do PicoStar or NightlyStar have ads?

NightlyStar shows ads; PicoStar does not.

### Which is updated more often, PicoStar or NightlyStar?

PicoStar ships an update every 7 months, and NightlyStar every 11 days. Most recently, PicoStar was updated on October 18, 2026 and NightlyStar on October 9, 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.*