Picastro vs Irys
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Picastro
A dedicated social platform for sharing high-resolution astrophotography and space images. Connect with a passionate, ad-free community of stargazers and photographers, from beginners to experts. Showcase your gear, find local meetups, and earn progress badges.
- High-resolution image sharing
- Ad-free and bot-free community
- StarCard for gear showcase
- StarCamps for local meetups
- Progress badges for growth
- Beginner and expert friendly
Read full descriptionHide full description
Picastro is the ultimate mobile platform for sharing your high-resolution astrophotography and space images — designed by an astronomer, built for the astronomy community. Whether you're a beginner capturing your first star trail or a seasoned astrophotographer imaging distant nebulae, Picastro brings together a passionate, ad-free, and bot-free community that shares your love for the cosmos. Why Picastro? Hi-Res Images, No Compromises – Share stunning celestial captures in full detail • Positive, Curated Community – Engage with real people, not algorithms • Beginner & Expert Friendly – Grow your skills and get inspired by others Exclusive Features: StarCard – Showcase your gear and style • StarCamps – Connect locally or globally with others under dark skies • Progress Badges – Earn NASA-style icons as you explore and grow Unlike general social platforms, Picastro is 100% focused on space. There are no ads, fake accounts, or spam — just pure cosmic content. Join thousands of fellow stargazers and photographers around the world who are already sharing their journey through the universe. Download Picastro now and become part of the astronomy community that's changing the way we share the night sky.
Irys
This app is a community for photography enthusiasts to share their work, connect with others, and get inspired. It offers features like large image uploads, no follower counts, and curated content, with opportunities to win prizes through competitions.
- Upload images up to 50MB
- No visible follower counts
- Curated photography highlights
- Share any aspect ratio
- Join and curate groups
- Organize work by themes/portfolios
- Spotlight competitions
Read full descriptionHide full description
Irys is an app and community built for all photography lovers. A place to share your work without noise or pressure, and to connect with others who care about the craft. Features include: • Upload images up to 50MB • No visible follower counts : build a following for the right reasons! • Get inspired with great photography and curated highlights from our team • Share any aspect ratio with no forced cropping • Join and curate groups around what you love • Organise your work by themes and portfolios • Enter Spotlight competitions (exclusively on Irys!) for a chance to win prizes from top industry partners • Optional EXIF details like camera and lens information Whether you're a working photographer, a passionate hobbyist, or simply someone who loves great images, Irys was built for you! Terms of Service: https://support.irysphotos.com/hc/en-gb/articles/5020127716639-Terms-and-conditions Privacy Policy: https://support.irysphotos.com/hc/en-gb/articles/5020165583903-Privacy-Policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Picastro at 92% against Irys's 51%. Picastro also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). Irys's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Irys sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Picastro asks for nothing beyond the download.
Picastro holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 51 and 38 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Picastro's written reviews are positive against 51% of Irys's.
Picastro ships an update every 3 weeks, Irys weekly. The most recent releases landed on August 28, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Picastro | Irys |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (51 ratings) — better | 4.3 (38 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 91.8% of reviews — better | 50.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 51 — better | 38 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 106 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Picastro Global Ltd | Silvertone Media Ltd |
Customer experience
Picastro
Irys
User reviews
Picastro
From 51 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ✨ High-resolution images without compression
- 🤝 Supportive and like-minded community
- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 🚫 No irrelevant content or algorithms
- 🌟 Great for inspiration and learning
Room to improve
- 💰 Subscription fee not upfront
- 🐛 App crashes/shuts down
- ⚠️ Difficulty making a nickname
- ❌ 'No internet connection' error
Irys
From 38 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤩 Great alternative to Instagram
- 👍 Positive community vibe
- 💡 Focused on photography
- 🤗 Throwback to old Instagram
Room to improve
- 🤢 Awful color scheme and UI
- 🤯 Buggy and freezes often
- 💰 Monetization issues
Bugs and requests
Picastro
Reported bugs
3 issues- App shuts down after opening screen
- App times out with 'no internet connection' error
- Unable to make a nickname
Requested features
2 requests- More upfront pricing information before installation
- Allowing users to make nicknames
Irys
Reported bugs
2 issues- App freezes when trying to post
- Invite codes not working
Requested features
3 requests- Improve UI and UX design
- Fix bugs and stability issues
- Reconsider monetization strategy
In-app purchases
Picastro
No in-app purchases
Irys
- Monthly Premium$5.991 Month
- Annual Premium$59.991 Year
