Comparison

Albedo vs SkyPoint

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

Head to head
About

Albedo

Features
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• An interactive map and real-time trajectories Track iconic satellites such as the ISS, Tiangong, Hubble as they move across the sky. The interactive map displays their real-time positions and ground track, helping you spot visible passes from your location with ease. Plus, new satellites are added to the app each time a new visible satellite is launched into orbit! • Anticipate passes with precision Plan your observations in advance by checking upcoming passes up to 7 days ahead. You’ll get all the essential information, including brightness magnitude, entry/exit from Earth’s shadow, weather conditions, cloud cover, and lunar phase. The app calculates your chances of observation, so you know when it’s the best time to look up. A built-in compass helps you visualize the satellite’s trajectory in the sky, making it even easier to know where to look. • Personalized notifications based on observation conditions Never miss a moment in the sky with customizable alerts. You can choose your favorite satellites, set a notification pre-alert period (from 5 to 30 minutes), and receive notifications only when the conditions are right for viewing. • Designed for space lovers, photographers, and casual observers This app is ideal for astronomy enthusiasts, photographers, and anyone who enjoys looking at the sky. Its clean, user-friendly interface makes it simple to use for both beginners and seasoned sky watchers, while providing all the detailed data needed for a perfect stargazing experience. By downloading this app, you agree to the Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

SkyPoint

Features
Read full description

SkyPoint — AR Satellite Finder Point your phone at the sky and instantly see where geostationary satellites are. SkyPoint uses augmented reality to overlay satellite positions directly on your camera feed, showing you exactly where to aim a satellite dish. How it works Open the app, point your phone upward, and SkyPoint displays satellite labels pinned to their real positions in the sky. Each label shows the satellite name, orbital position, elevation angle, and compass bearing. A dashed arc traces the Clarke Belt — the geostationary orbit 35,786 km above the equator where all the satellites sit. As you pan your phone around, the labels stay locked in place with smooth, stable tracking. Built for professionals SkyPoint was designed for broadcast engineers and technical producers who need to locate satellites during site surveys. Whether you're aligning an uplink dish for a live sports broadcast or checking line-of-sight at a new venue, SkyPoint gets you pointed in the right direction before you even unpack your equipment. • Real-time AR overlay with rock-solid label tracking • Compass heading, GPS coordinates, and elevation data on screen • Geotagged screenshots that capture the AR view with all satellite labels • Compass confidence indicator showing how reliable your heading data is • One-tap north recalibration when you move to a new location 70+ satellites worldwide The built-in database covers major geostationary satellites across every region: • Europe: Astra 2E/2F/2G, Hot Bird, Eutelsat series • Middle East: Arabsat, Türksat, Badr • Asia Pacific: AsiaSat, Thaicom, Measat, Palapa, Koreasat, JCSAT • Australia: Optus D1/D2/D3, Sky Muster, Kacific-1 • Americas: SES, Intelsat, Galaxy, Hispasat, Amazonas Satellites are organised by operator so you can quickly find what you need. Filter by all satellites, those above the horizon, or only the ones you've selected. Toggle individual satellites on or off to keep the AR view clean. Add your own satellites Need a satellite that isn't in the database? Add custom satellites by entering a name and orbital longitude. Your custom satellites appear alongside the built-in ones with full AR overlay support. Smart compass handling Getting an accurate heading from a phone compass is hard — magnetic interference from buildings, vehicles, and metal structures can throw it off. SkyPoint uses a hybrid approach: ARKit's gyroscope provides smooth, jitter-free tracking frame to frame, while the compass gently corrects for long-term drift. The result is labels that stay perfectly stable as you move the phone, with none of the wobble you get from raw compass data. If the compass accuracy drops, SkyPoint warns you and suggests recalibration. You can recalibrate from the compass with a single tap, or long-press to manually set north by pointing your phone in a known direction. Capture and share Take geotagged screenshots that include satellite labels, the Clarke Belt arc, and your compass heading. Photos are saved with GPS metadata so you can review survey locations later. A subtle watermark marks each capture as created with SkyPoint. Labels that stay readable When satellites cluster at similar orbital positions, labels alternate above and below the Clarke Belt arc so they don't overlap. Labels also rotate to stay readable when you tilt your phone to landscape orientation. No internet required All satellite position calculations run on-device using standard orbital mechanics. SkyPoint works anywhere — no network connection needed. Requirements • iPhone with ARKit support (iPhone 12 or later recommended) • iOS 16 or later • Camera and location permissions

Screenshots

Albedo4 screens
SkyPoint4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SkyPoint at none against Albedo's 2. SkyPoint also leads on iOS requirement (16.6 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and 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

Both are free to download. Albedo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. SkyPoint asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Albedo ships an update every 2 weeks, SkyPoint every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Albedo versus SkyPoint: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAlbedoSkyPoint
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS26.016.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMathis GaignetTimothy Goff

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Albedo

Subscriptions1
  • Orbital Plan - Subscription7 Days trial$0.991 Month
One-time1
  • Orbital Plan - Lifetime$24.99
None

SkyPoint

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Albedo free?
Albedo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SkyPoint free?
SkyPoint is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Albedo or SkyPoint have ads?
Neither Albedo nor SkyPoint shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Albedo or SkyPoint?
Albedo ships an update every 2 weeks, and SkyPoint every 3 weeks. Most recently, Albedo was updated on October 1, 2026 and SkyPoint on October 7, 2026.

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