Comparison

Sun Mapper vs Shade Analyzer

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

Head to head
About

Sun Mapper

Easily track sunlight in your garden by creating detailed sun maps. Upload photos or take new ones at intervals to visualize light patterns throughout the day. Trace sunlight areas to understand daily exposure for optimal gardening.

Highlights
  • Add and manage multiple gardens
  • Create sun maps with timed photo intervals
  • Upload photos or use in-app camera
  • View sun maps as a slideshow
  • Trace sunlight areas for detailed analysis
  • Compare multiple sun maps side-by-side
Features
Read full description

Create Sun Maps for your garden so that you can easily track how much sunlight your garden is getting throughout the day. The most reliable way to create a sun map is to take photos yourself, so that you can see exactly when and where the light is hitting your garden. To help you with this, Sun Mapper has the following features: ADD GARDENS - Identify the garden(s) that you will be creating sun maps for* CREATE SUN MAPS - Set up your sun map so that photos will be taken/uploaded at specific intervals throughout the day - Each sun map is identified by the garden it is for, the date it is recorded and the camera angle - Create multiple sun maps for the same garden* - (You may want to create multiple sun maps for different seasons or for different camera angles) ADD PHOTOS - Upload from your photo library or take a picture with the in-app camera - Add photos at each interval throughout the day - Get notified when it is time to take/upload another photo. SLIDESHOW - Tap forward or backward through the sun map images and see how the light changes throughout the day - Auto-play to have slideshow run automatically TRACE SUNLIGHT (In-App Purchase) - For each image in your sun map, trace a shape over the areas hit by sunlight - Align images so that when overlaid, the sunlight tracings are in the right place - View the composite sunlight tracing, showing how many total hours each area of your garden gets hit with sunlight PREMIUM FEATURES... COMPARE SUN MAPS - Observe photos from selected sun maps side-by-side to see how light hits differently at each time throughout the day - Compare from 2-4 sun maps at a time SLIDESHOW+ - Align images so that objects stay in the same place, and the only thing that changes is where the sunlight hits - Turn on 'Repeat' so that the slideshow automatically starts over and continues playing - Turn on 'Fade' so that each image fades into the next (works great with aligned images!) *Limit is 2 gardens and 2 sun maps per garden, or unlimited with an In-App Purchase. Want me to develop your app? Email me at mcApps@proton.me

About

Shade Analyzer

Features
Read full description

Shading Analyzer - Precision Shading Insights for Gardens & Architecture Revolutionize your outdoor and architectural planning with the Shading Analyzer app. Designed to work seamlessly with our advanced shading analysis lens, this app delivers highly accurate sunshade evaluations tailored for gardening and architectural projects. Key Features: Accurate Shading Analysis: Perfect for optimizing plant placement in gardens and planning structures with ideal sun exposure. Real-Time Data: Assess shading patterns to design efficient and aesthetically pleasing outdoor spaces. Tailored for Professionals & Enthusiasts: Ideal for architects, landscapers, and gardening enthusiasts. User-Friendly Interface: Simple yet powerful tools to elevate your planning process. Whether you're cultivating a lush garden or designing innovative architectural spaces, Shading Analyzer empowers you with actionable insights for success. Plan smarter, grow better, and design beautifully with Shading Analyzer!

Screenshots

Sun Mapper4 screens
Shade Analyzer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shade Analyzer at none against Sun Mapper's 6. Shade Analyzer also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sun Mapper sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Shade Analyzer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sun Mapper ships an update every 3 weeks, Shade Analyzer fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on June 4, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Sun Mapper versus Shade Analyzer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSun MapperShade Analyzer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size119 MB96 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMichael CeryakStep Robotics

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Sun Mapper

One-time6
  • Free Rein$0.99
  • Premium$0.99
  • 1 Sunlight Tracing$0.99
Show 3 more
  • 3 Sunlight Tracings$1.99
  • 6 Sunlight Tracings$2.99
  • 10 Sunlight Tracings$3.99
None

Shade Analyzer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sun Mapper free?
Sun Mapper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shade Analyzer free?
Shade Analyzer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Sun Mapper or Shade Analyzer have ads?
Neither Sun Mapper nor Shade Analyzer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sun Mapper or Shade Analyzer?
Sun Mapper ships an update every 3 weeks, and Shade Analyzer fortnightly. Most recently, Sun Mapper was updated on June 4, 2026 and Shade Analyzer on September 14, 2026.

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