Comparison

MOON vs Noctis

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

Head to head
About

MOON

Track lunar cycles with this comprehensive moon phase calendar. Get notifications for key events, view moon phases for any date, and share lunar imagery with friends. Features offline access and home screen widgets.

Highlights
  • Current moon phase viewing
  • Lunar event notifications
  • Home screen widget
  • Moon phase lookup for any date
  • Social sharing of moon imagery
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

MOON is your personal lunar portal. ++ Best User Experience - Webby Awards 2017 Honoree ++ Never be caught off-guard by moon-related craziness again. View the current moon phase or what the moon will look like on a certain date, see countdowns to moon events, receive notifications with enough time to avoid unpleasantness, and share what the moon looks like on any day with your friends. MOON is the most thoughtful moon phase calendar available. It becomes increasingly useful the more you use it. Enjoy. Features * Works offline, never be stranded without lunar positioning * Notifications before Full Moons, New Moons, and other special lunar events * Widget for your Home Screen * Share the current moon with the iMessage app * View what the moon looks like on any date * Share what the moon looks like on any date to Facebook, Twitter, iMessage etc. * Save current moon image to camera roll * Lunar illumination percentage * Countdown to upcoming New and Full Moons * Beautiful animated, layered spacescape * Hemisphere setting * Universal app * Support for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch * Built for iOS 12+ * Shake for Star Harp Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://moonapp.me/privacy.html

About

Noctis

This app provides a comprehensive score for stargazing conditions by combining light pollution data, weather forecasts, and moon phases. It helps users plan optimal times and locations for astrophotography and observing dark skies.

Highlights
  • Milky Way Score for shooting conditions
  • Light-pollution map with Bortle class
  • Real-time dark window countdown
  • Moon phase and rise/set times
  • 7-night planning
  • Best shooting hours calculation
Features
Read full description

NOCTIS tells you exactly when and where to shoot the night sky. Stop guessing whether tonight is worth the drive. NOCTIS combines real light-pollution data, live weather, moon phases, and the position of the Milky Way into one simple score — so you always know if the sky is ready before you pack your gear. Built for astrophotographers, stargazers, and anyone who loves a truly dark sky. WHAT YOU GET • Milky Way Score (0–100) See tonight's shooting conditions at a glance, scored from real darkness, cloud cover, moonlight, and Galactic Center altitude. • Light-Pollution Map Tap anywhere to read its exact Bortle class and sky brightness, and find the darkest spot near you — straight from satellite data. • Dark Window, Live A real-time countdown to your window of true darkness, from astronomical twilight to dawn. • Moon Phase & Rise/Set Know how much moonlight will wash out the sky, every night. • 7-Night Planning Compare the Milky Way Score for every night this week and pick the perfect one to shoot. • Best Shooting Hours The exact moon-free, low-cloud, high-Galactic-Center window for tonight. REAL DATA ONLY Every number comes from a real source — NASA light-pollution data, live weather, and precise astronomy. No guesses. No filler. NOCTIS+ Unlock all countries, high-resolution maps, full 7-night planning, the complete Galactic Center timeline, and unlimited saved dark-sky locations. Plan smarter. Drive less. Shoot more. — Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qNmBEtoR9yyo2DtrzmasKH9MGZ3R10ZwGGitklWXlQk/edit?usp=sharing Terms of Use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16IRbNhS8XbfncUq6VmWxg0QuUvU5Wb3aE_2J9ZTriGA/edit?usp=sharing

Screenshots

MOON4 screens
Noctis4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: MOON at 4.8 against Noctis's 2.5. MOON also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 50%) and ratings volume (30K vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. MOON sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per year and Noctis sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MOON holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MOON has 30K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of MOON's written reviews are positive against 50% of Noctis's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MOON ships an update weekly, Noctis every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
MOON versus Noctis: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMOONNoctis
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (30K ratings) — better2.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews85.3% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings30K — better2
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#31 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size143 MB88 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMOON CALENDARAhmet Giray Ucar

Customer experience

MOON

All ratings29,014 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral1.7%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews716 reviews
Positive85.3%
Neutral4.6%
Negative10.1%

Noctis

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

MOON

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Widget not working for some users
  • Moon phase information inaccurate on certain dates

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add moon rise and set times
  • Include information on lunar events like eclipses
  • Allow customization of notification sounds
  • Provide Southern Hemisphere moon phase view

Noctis

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

11 purchases

MOON

Subscriptions8
  • MOON Pro Yearly (NT)$11.991 Year
  • MOON Pro Yearly3 Days trial$11.991 Year
  • MOON Pro Yearly3 Days trial$19.991 Year
Show 5 more
  • MOON Pro Yearly$19.991 Year
  • MOON Limited Time Offer$19.991 Year
  • MOON Pro Yearly 50% Off3 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • MOON Pro (Yearly)3 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • MOON Pro (Yearly NT)$24.991 Year
One-time3
  • MOON Ambassador$4.99
  • MOON Supporter$9.99
  • MOON Patron$49.99
3 purchases

Noctis

Subscriptions3
  • Noctis+ Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Noctis+ Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Noctis+ Yearly$24.991 Year

Questions

Is MOON free?
MOON is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Noctis free?
Noctis is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MOON or Noctis?
MOON is rated higher. MOON averages 4.8 out of 5 from 30K ratings, while Noctis averages 2.5 from 2 ratings.
Do MOON or Noctis have ads?
Neither MOON nor Noctis shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MOON or Noctis?
MOON ships an update weekly, and Noctis every 2 weeks. Most recently, MOON was updated on October 22, 2026 and Noctis on October 20, 2026.

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