Sunio vs Solar Energy Forecast
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sunio
Visualize the sun's path and its impact on terrain in 3D. Plan photography, evaluate property sunlight, and optimize solar panel placement with accurate, animated lighting and shadow simulations.
- 3D animated sunlight and shadow simulation
- Augmented Reality sun path overlay
- Precise golden hour and twilight times
- Property sun exposure analysis
- Solar panel optimization tools
- Interactive time scrubbing
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Sunio transforms how you experience sunlight. Watch the sun's journey come alive with dynamic 3D lighting on real terrain—the only app that animates how light and shadows change throughout the day. Plan property purchases, capture golden hour photography, and optimize solar panels with professional-grade accuracy. SEE SUNLIGHT TRANSFORM YOUR WORLD Press play and watch landscapes transform with solar-accurate lighting. Sunio's 3D animation engine shows exactly how sunlight and shadows move across terrain throughout the day. Scrub through time and see building shadows shrink at noon, stretch at sunset, and disappear after dark. Perfect for evaluating property sun exposure before buying a home. See which rooms get morning light, where afternoon shadows fall, and how seasonal sunlight changes throughout the year. PERFECT FOR PHOTOGRAPHY Never miss golden hour again. Sunio calculates precise golden hour, blue hour, and twilight times for any location on Earth. See exactly where the sun will rise or set with AR overlays that show the sun's path through your camera view. The interactive timeline lets you scout locations remotely—scrub through an entire day in seconds to find perfect lighting conditions. MAKE SMARTER PROPERTY DECISIONS Buying a home or apartment? Sunio reveals crucial sunlight information that photos and tours miss. Check if your balcony gets afternoon sun. Verify if morning light reaches the bedroom. See how neighboring buildings cast shadows on your property. Real estate agents use Sunio to showcase property features—demonstrating southern exposure and natural light advantages. Garden planners identify full-sun zones for vegetables and shade areas for plants. PROFESSIONAL TOOLS Sunio delivers professional-grade sun tracking with NOAA algorithm accuracy. Architects use it for daylight analysis and shadow studies. Solar installers optimize panel placement by visualizing solar angles throughout the year. Get precise solar data: azimuth, elevation, sunrise/sunset times, solar noon, twilight phases, and day length. View sun paths as 3D arcs overlaid on satellite imagery or through AR on your camera. Building shadows appear realistically on 3D terrain—see how structures cast shade on courtyards, streets, and neighboring properties. POWERFUL FEATURES • Augmented Reality Sun Path - Point your camera at the sky and see the sun's arc • 3D Animated Lighting - Watch solar lighting transform landscapes • Time Scrubbing - Drag through 24 hours instantly • Multiple Map Modes - Standard, Satellite, and 3D Buildings • Location Search - Plan for any address worldwide with history • Date Selector - Plan months ahead for trips and events • Solar Calculator - Precise azimuth, elevation, and angle calculations • Golden Hour Times - Never miss perfect photography lighting • Compass Integration - Find cardinal directions and solar orientation • 12 Languages - Full support for global users PRIVACY-FIRST, BEAUTIFUL DESIGN Sunio respects your privacy. No ads ever. No tracking. No account required. No data collection. Your location data stays on your device. Built exclusively for iOS 18+ using the latest Apple technologies for smooth 60fps animations and stunning graphics. Designed to feel at home on your iPhone and iPad. Join photographers, homebuyers, architects, and solar professionals who trust Sunio for accurate, beautiful solar visualization. One-time purchase, no subscription required. Download Sunio and see the light.
Solar Energy Forecast
This app provides detailed solar energy forecasts, including daily potential, cloud cover, and hourly solar activity. It helps users assess the best conditions for solar generation and identifies potential weather risks for solar panels.
- Daily solar energy forecast
- Day rating (good, average, weak)
- Hourly solar and cloud cover charts
- Sun position and sunrise/sunset times
- Weather risk alerts for solar panels
- Location selection and saved locations
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Solar Energy Forecast helps you understand how good the day is for solar generation. The app shows solar indicators that matter for estimating daily solar potential: solar energy, cloud cover, hourly activity, sun position, and weather risks. What’s inside: • daily solar energy forecast; • day rating: good, average, or weak; • hourly charts for GHI/DIF, DNI, UV, and cloud cover; • sun elevation and azimuth; • sunrise and sunset; • comparison of actual solar resource with the potential of a clear day; • risks for solar panels: strong wind, snow, ice, hail, thunderstorm; • location selection by search, geolocation, or map; • saved locations; Important: the kWh/m² value shows solar energy received by 1 m² of horizontal surface during the day. It is not the exact output of a solar panel. Real generation depends on system power, panel area, tilt, direction, temperature, cloud cover, and losses. The app is useful for solar panel owners, people planning to install a solar power system, and anyone who wants to understand sunny conditions in the coming days.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sunio at none against Solar Energy Forecast's 1. Sunio also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 87%). Solar Energy Forecast's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18). On price, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Solar Energy Forecast sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sunio asks for nothing beyond the download.
Solar Energy Forecast holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 23 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Sunio's written reviews are positive against 87% of Solar Energy Forecast's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Sunio ships an update every 5 days, Solar Energy Forecast every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sunio | Solar Energy Forecast |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (10 ratings) | 4.8 (23 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 87.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 10 | 23 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 38 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Daniel Slave | Maksym Buradchuk |
Customer experience
Sunio
Solar Energy Forecast
In-app purchases
Sunio
No in-app purchases
Solar Energy Forecast
- Remove ads$2.99
Questions
Is Sunio free?
Is Solar Energy Forecast free?
Which has better reviews, Sunio or Solar Energy Forecast?
Do Sunio or Solar Energy Forecast have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sunio or Solar Energy Forecast?
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