Comparison

CelestialGuide vs Orbital Contact

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

Head to head
About

CelestialGuide

Explore the cosmos with an interactive sky map that displays stars, planets, and celestial events. Point your device at the sky to see a real-time representation of your surroundings, with adjustable visibility settings for stars.

Highlights
  • Interactive sky map
  • Real-time celestial tracking
  • Adjustable star visibility
  • Planet and comet locations
  • Eclipse and transit rendering
  • Messier Object database
  • Virtual Orrery
Features
Read full description

Celestial Guide is an interactive database of information about stars and planets. Its basic interface is a map of the sky as seen from any point on Earth at any point in time. The user can manually choose the time and location, or the iPhone's or iPad's GPS and clock can be used to select the current time and location. If the device is pointed at the sky, the map on the screen will be presented corresponding to the actual view in that direction. The star database includes stars brighter than magnitude 9. The user can select the minimum visible magnitude, which allows the map to conform to the stars which are visible to the user based on local viewing conditions. CelestialGuide presents accurate locations of planets and comets, including rendering of eclipses, transits and occultations that are visible from the selected location. CelestialGuide also has a database of Messier Objects. CelestialGuide also includes a Virtual Orrery, displaying the relative position of the planets and comets at any point in time.

About

Orbital Contact

Read full description

Explore the universe — from the science of the cosmos to the world's most documented UAP/UFO cases. Orbital Contact is a space exploration and science-outreach app for the endlessly curious. Learn how the universe works, track what's above you tonight, and dive into famous unexplained aerial cases — all presented honestly, as documented accounts rather than proven claims. WHAT YOU'LL FIND - Daily astronomy — NASA's Picture of the Day, space news, and upcoming rocket launches - Sky tracking — see when the International Space Station passes over your location, plus celestial events - Interactive tools — your weight and age on other planets, time dilation, and more - Mysteries of the cosmos — accessible deep-dives into the universe's biggest open questions - UAP/UFO dossiers — iconic documented cases (Roswell, Nimitz "Tic Tac," Rendlesham, and more), presented with their official explanations where they exist - Learn & play — quizzes, a learning trail, achievements, and a passport to track your journey - Four languages — English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French AN HONEST APPROACH Orbital Contact is educational and for entertainment. Historical cases and reports are presented as documented accounts, not as proven facts — and the app does not claim extraterrestrial origin for any phenomenon. Calculations and visibility times are estimates. ORBITAL CONTACT PREMIUM Go further with a monthly subscription: - Unlock every mystery and UAP dossier - Remove ads - Celestial alerts — get notified about events and ISS passes - Exclusive themes, advanced analysis, and more No account required. No sign-up, no login — your data stays largely on your device. Look up. Stay curious. Privacy Policy: https://telegra.ph/Orbital-Contact--Privacy-Policy--Terms-06-21 Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

CelestialGuide4 screens
Orbital Contact4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Orbital Contact at Free against CelestialGuide's $0.99. Orbital Contact also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 17 months) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). CelestialGuide's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On 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

Orbital Contact is free to download; CelestialGuide costs $0.99 up front. Orbital Contact sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. CelestialGuide asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CelestialGuide ships an update every 17 months, Orbital Contact every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
CelestialGuide versus Orbital Contact: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCelestialGuideOrbital Contact
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 17 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB72 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperGeoffrey DommRafael Melo de Farias

In-app purchases

None

CelestialGuide

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Orbital Contact

Subscriptions1
  • Premium$4.991 Month

Questions

Is CelestialGuide free?
CelestialGuide costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Orbital Contact free?
Orbital Contact is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CelestialGuide or Orbital Contact have ads?
Orbital Contact shows ads; CelestialGuide does not.
Which is updated more often, CelestialGuide or Orbital Contact?
CelestialGuide ships an update every 17 months, and Orbital Contact every 6 weeks. Most recently, CelestialGuide was updated on October 7, 2026 and Orbital Contact on October 2, 2026.

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