Comparison

Luminary vs ScoutKit

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

Head to head
About

Luminary

Track the sun's position and predict solar and photography events with this offline app. It provides detailed information on sunrise, sunset, twilight phases, and solstices. Ideal for outdoor enthusiasts and photographers.

Highlights
  • Live Azimuth & Altitude
  • Detailed Solar Events
  • Photography Event Timings
  • Seasonal Solstice Information
  • Offline Functionality
  • Dark Mode Support
Features
Read full description

Say hello to Luminary, your personal sun tracker! Whether you’re chasing the perfect sunset, planning your next outdoor adventure, or just want to know where the sun is hiding, Luminary’s got you covered. Luminary works entirely offline, so you can access sun data anytime, anywhere. It’s dirt simple to get started—just launch the app and voilà! --- SUN POSITION Live Azimuth & Altitude SOLAR EVENTS Solar Midnight, Dawn, Astronomical Twilight, Nautical Twilight, Civil Twilight, Sunrise, Solar Noon, Sunset, Civil Twilight, Nautical Twilight, Astronomical Twilight, and Dusk PHOTOGRAPHY EVENTS First Light, Blue Hour, Golden Hour, and Last Light AND MORE! Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumn Equinox, Winter Solstice, Total Day, Total Night DARK MODE Supports dark mode (including home screen icons)! OFFLINE Sun data calculated on device, no internet required. --- The free version of Luminary is free forever, and contains no ads. If you're looking for the best way to simply view sun data at your current location, downloading Luminary for free is a great place to start. --- Privacy Policy: https://luminary.djpeacher.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://luminary.djpeacher.com/terms

About

ScoutKit

Plan your photography shoots with detailed weather and light condition forecasts. Monitor cloud cover, golden hour, tides, and more to ensure you're in the right place at the right time for the perfect shot.

Highlights
  • Multi-layer cloud analysis
  • Tide data for coastal shoots
  • Golden hour and blue hour timing
  • Location scouting and tagging
  • Animated weather map overlays
Features
Read full description

Every photographer knows the frustration — you drove two hours, hiked to the overlook, and the light just… wasn't there. The conditions didn't cooperate. The moment didn't materialize. ScoutKit exists so that when you press the shutter, it matters. Built for photographers, ScoutKit delivers the planning intelligence you need to be in the right place at the right time — not by luck, but by design. Check cloud cover across multiple atmospheric layers, track golden hour and blue hour windows, monitor tide cycles, and evaluate sunrise or sunset conditions before you ever leave the house. When the sun goes down, keep planning — aurora forecasts, Milky Way windows, and transparency scoring tell you whether tonight is the night. Save the locations that matter to you. Monitor conditions throughout the day and hours leading up to your shoot. Show up knowing what the sky, the water, and the light are going to do. No account required. No login. Just open ScoutKit and start planning your next shoot. Key features include: • Multi-layer cloud analysis — See coverage across low, mid, and high atmospheric layers to judge whether a sunrise or sunset is worth the drive. • Regional cloud field visualization — Live satellite and forecast data showing how coverage moves and evolves hour by hour across your area. • Night Sky planning — Aurora forecasting, Milky Way shoot windows, and atmospheric transparency scoring for stargazing and astrophotography. • Marine & tide data for coastal shoots — Tides, significant wave height, swells, and currents. Time your sessions around water levels for tidal pools, sea stacks, reflections, and long exposures. • Golden hour, blue hour & astronomical timing — Know exactly when the light transitions happen at any location, any day of the year. • Location scouting & tagging — Save and organize the spots that matter to you for easy monitoring and future sessions. • Animated weather map overlays — Watch cloud banks, precipitation, and fronts move through your area so you know when conditions will clear or change. The best light isn't luck — it's planning. Payment for ScoutKit subscriptions will be charged to your Apple ID account upon purchase confirmation. All prices are exclusive of taxes. Subscription plans will automatically renew annually or monthly, depending on the selected plan, unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current term. Cancel anytime in the App Store; your subscription will cease at the end of the current term. No refund will be issued for the time remaining on your current plan term when you cancel your subscription. By using ScoutKit, you certify that you understand and agree to the ScoutKit Terms of Use (https://www.scoutkit.app/terms-of-use) and Privacy Policy (https://www.scoutkit.app/privacy-policy).

Screenshots

Luminary4 screens
ScoutKit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Luminary at every 3 days against ScoutKit's every 4 weeks. Luminary also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). ScoutKit's advantage is ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, rating, 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. Luminary sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and ScoutKit sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Luminary against 5.0 for ScoutKit. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ScoutKit has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Luminary ships an update every 3 days, ScoutKit every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Luminary versus ScoutKit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLuminaryScoutKit
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings15 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB70 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperJonathan PeacherScout Kit, LLC

Customer experience

Luminary

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ScoutKit

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Luminary

One-time4
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • Medium Tip$2.99
  • Large Tip$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Giant Tip$9.99
2 purchases

ScoutKit

Subscriptions2
  • ScoutKit Monthly Plan14 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • ScoutKit Annual Plan14 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Luminary free?
Luminary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ScoutKit free?
ScoutKit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Luminary or ScoutKit?
Luminary and ScoutKit are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 5 ratings respectively.
Do Luminary or ScoutKit have ads?
Neither Luminary nor ScoutKit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Luminary or ScoutKit?
Luminary ships an update every 3 days, and ScoutKit every 4 weeks. Most recently, Luminary was updated on October 4, 2026 and ScoutKit on October 1, 2026.

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