# MOON vs Noctis

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.

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.

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.

MOON ships an update weekly, Noctis every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MOON | Noctis |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (30K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moon-current-moon-phase/id660036257/reviews)** | [2.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noctis-light-pollution-map/id6780199923/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **30K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **85.3% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#50** | — |
| Size | 143 MB | 88 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MOON CALENDAR](https://appshunter.io/developer/1709661622) | [Ahmet Giray Ucar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1583246836) |

## What reviewers say

### MOON

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moon-current-moon-phase/id660036257)

**Currently charting:** #50 Top Free · Weather, #87 Top Grossing · Weather (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MOON Pro Yearly (NT) | $11.99 | per year |
| MOON Pro Yearly | $11.99 | per year |
| MOON Pro Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| MOON Pro Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| MOON Limited Time Offer | $19.99 | per year |
| MOON Pro Yearly 50% Off | $19.99 | per year |
| MOON Pro (Yearly) | $24.99 | per year |
| MOON Pro (Yearly NT) | $24.99 | per year |
| MOON Ambassador | $4.99 | one-time |
| MOON Supporter | $9.99 | one-time |
| MOON Patron | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Gorgeous design
- 👍 Accurate moon phase tracking
- 💡 Quirky notification messages
- 🎨 Beautiful widget
- 🙂 Calming and peaceful

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lacking additional moon-related features
- 💰 Subscription model for some features
- 🔊 Loud notification sounds
- 🌍 Not optimized for Southern Hemisphere

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not working for some users
- Moon phase information inaccurate on certain dates

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noctis-light-pollution-map/id6780199923)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Noctis+ Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Noctis+ Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Noctis+ Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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 23, 2026 and Noctis on October 20, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*