# Messier Journal vs AstraView

The clearest difference is price: AstraView at Free against Messier Journal's $0.99. Messier Journal's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

AstraView is free to download; Messier Journal costs $0.99 up front. AstraView sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Messier Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Messier Journal against 5.0 for AstraView. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 6 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Messier Journal ships an update every 3 months, AstraView every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Messier Journal | AstraView |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messier-journal/id6753959873/reviews) | [5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astraview/id6757986860/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 158 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Damon Degner](https://appshunter.io/developer/1845946345) | [Mark Chenoweth](https://appshunter.io/developer/1870104002) |

## What reviewers say

### Messier Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messier-journal/id6753959873)

This app helps Northern Hemisphere astronomers and astrophotographers discover, locate, and journal all 110 Messier objects. It provides detailed information, star maps, and tools to record observations and upload photos.

**Highlights:** Learn about 110 Messier objects, Locate objects with star maps, Filter objects by constellation and type, Record observation details, Upload astrophotography, Track spotted object statistics, Generate object collages

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### AstraView

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astraview/id6757986860)

This app provides personalized stargazing recommendations based on your location, equipment, and local horizon. It features an augmented reality star map, astronomy-specific weather forecasts, and alerts for celestial events.

**Highlights:** Personalized nightly celestial object recommendations, Horizon-aware visibility mapping, Augmented reality interactive star map, Astronomy-specific weather forecasts, Moon phase tracking, Alerts for planetary conjunctions and meteor showers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AstraView Pro | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Messier Journal free?

Messier Journal costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is AstraView free?

AstraView is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Messier Journal or AstraView?

Messier Journal and AstraView are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 6 ratings respectively.

### Do Messier Journal or AstraView have ads?

Neither Messier Journal nor AstraView shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Messier Journal or AstraView?

Messier Journal ships an update every 3 months, and AstraView every 2 months. Most recently, Messier Journal was updated on October 28, 2026 and AstraView on October 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*