Comparison

Luminary vs Bearing

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

Bearing

Features
Read full description

Bearing is a field almanac for naturalists. It combines tides, sky, weather, seasonal nature, migratory birds, UV, pollen, and active tropical storms for your selected US region. Data comes directly from public weather and science services. No login, ads, tracking, or cloud sync. Not for navigation or life safety. Start with 3 days of full access. After that, a one-time unlock keeps the full almanac — no subscription.

Screenshots

Luminary4 screens
Bearing4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Luminary at every 3 days against Bearing's every 10 days. Bearing's advantage is device support (4 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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 Bearing sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Luminary ships an update every 3 days, Bearing every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Luminary versus Bearing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLuminaryBearing
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJonathan PeacherRizk Corsight, LLC

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

Bearing

One-time2
  • Bearing Unlock$3.99
  • Bearing Unlock 2026$3.99

Questions

Is Luminary free?
Luminary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bearing free?
Bearing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Luminary or Bearing have ads?
Neither Luminary nor Bearing shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Luminary or Bearing?
Luminary ships an update every 3 days, and Bearing every 10 days. Most recently, Luminary was updated on November 8, 2026 and Bearing on November 5, 2026.

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