Comparison

SkyPlanner vs AstroFinish

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

Head to head
About

SkyPlanner

This app helps astrophotographers plan their imaging sessions by providing personalized celestial target recommendations based on real-world horizons and sky conditions. It analyzes over 4,000 deep sky objects and planets, factoring in visibility, moon phase, and personal imaging history to suggest the best targets for any clear night.

Highlights
  • Personalized target recommendations
  • Real-world horizon mapping
  • Smart celestial object rankings
  • Yearly visibility charts
  • Integration time estimates
  • 4,000+ deep sky objects
  • Real-time sky conditions
Read full description

SkyPlanner: Your Personal Astrophotography Planner Stop guessing what's worth imaging tonight. SkyPlanner combines your real-world horizon with a massive celestial database to deliver personalized, ranked target recommendations, so every clear night counts. YOUR SKY. NOT SOMEONE ELSE'S. Most planning tools assume a perfect horizon. Your backyard doesn't have one. SkyPlanner uses your phone's camera to capture your actual horizon profile, including trees, rooftops, and hills, at each of your imaging locations. Every recommendation, every visibility window, every integration time estimate is calculated against your obstructions, not a textbook sphere. SMART RANKINGS. BETTER NIGHTS. SkyPlanner's ranking engine analyzes over 4,000 deep sky objects and surfaces the best targets for your specific date, location, and sky conditions. It factors in: Visibility window duration from your location - Moon phase and angular separation - Object altitude and atmospheric seeing - Seasonal peak imaging windows - Your personal imaging history New to an object? SkyPlanner flags targets you haven't imaged yet and surfaces ones you may never have considered. PLAN AHEAD. IMAGE SMARTER. Don't wait for clear skies to start planning. SkyPlanner's yearly visibility charts show you exactly when each object peaks from your location, so you can schedule sessions weeks in advance and never miss the optimal imaging window for a target again. Available integration time is calculated for any object, on any date, from any of your saved locations. EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE - 4,000+ deep sky objects with detailed data - Planets with apparent size, magnitude, and event tracking (oppositions, elongations) - Integrated real-time sky conditions (cloud cover, atmospheric transparency, and seeing) displayed across your entire observing night - Monthly planner with moon phase calendar and high-illumination warnings - Full search with Messier, NGC, IC, and common name support - Save favorites, log imaged objects, and add personal notes to any target SKYPLANNER PRO Take your sessions further with an optional Pro subscription: - AI-powered target descriptions tailored to your specific equipment - Personalized imaging and processing tips based on your camera, telescope, and skill level - Advanced ranking controls to tune recommendations to your preferences Whether you're imaging from a light-polluted suburb or a dark-sky site, SkyPlanner Pro gives you expert-level guidance without the guesswork. SkyPlanner is designed for astrophotographers of all experience levels, from first-light imagers to seasoned deep sky veterans. It’s a big universe. Make your plan. Privacy Policy: https://www.optickstudios.com/skyplanner-privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

AstroFinish

Edit astrophotography images directly on your iPhone. Enhance deep-sky objects, clean up skies, and sharpen moon shots with specialized tools. Supports various image formats and offers batch processing for efficient editing.

Highlights
  • Auto Astro Polish
  • Deep Sky enhancement
  • Moon sharpening
  • Nebula and galaxy detail
  • Denoise and star reduction
  • Batch processing
  • RAW and FITS support
Features
Read full description

AstroFinish is a darkroom for astrophotography on iPhone. It is built for the shots that come off smart telescopes, backyard rigs, and late-night moon sessions: the ones that are almost there, but need a cleaner sky and a better finish. Start fast with Auto Astro Polish, Deep Sky, Moon Sharp, and other built-in looks. Or dial it in by hand with controls made for space photos, including black point, glow cleanup, nebula reveal, galaxy detail, denoise, star reduction, and moon sharpening. Import from Photos or Files, work with JPEG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF, RAW-style images, and FITS sessions, then export finished images or shareable before/after cards. Batch Finish helps run one look across a queue when you came home with more than one keeper. AstroFinish stays local. No account. No cloud upload. No tracking SDKs. Your captures stay on your iPhone unless you choose to share or save them. Built for: Smart telescope captures Deep-sky photos, nebulae, galaxies, star fields, and moon shots Quick fixes when the sky glow gets rude Manual finishing when you want the last word FITS reveal and stack workflows Local exports, share sheets, and before/after cards AstroFinish is for people who would rather be outside collecting photons than fighting a desktop editor at 1 a.m.

Screenshots

SkyPlanner4 screens
AstroFinish4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: AstroFinish at Free against SkyPlanner's $1.99. AstroFinish also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). On rating, ratings volume, 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

AstroFinish is free to download; SkyPlanner costs $1.99 up front. SkyPlanner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. AstroFinish asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for SkyPlanner against 5.0 for AstroFinish. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 4 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
SkyPlanner versus AstroFinish: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkyPlannerAstroFinish
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings24 — better
Update frequency—Every 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOpticks Studios LLCCody Adams

Customer experience

SkyPlanner

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

AstroFinish

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

SkyPlanner

Subscriptions2
  • SkyPlanner Pro$4.991 Month
  • SkyPlanner Pro$49.991 Year
None

AstroFinish

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SkyPlanner free?
SkyPlanner costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is AstroFinish free?
AstroFinish is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SkyPlanner or AstroFinish?
SkyPlanner and AstroFinish are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do SkyPlanner or AstroFinish have ads?
Neither SkyPlanner nor AstroFinish shows ads.

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