# Dark Sky Meter Pro vs Star Archive

The clearest difference is price: Star Archive at Free against Dark Sky Meter Pro's $4.99. Star Archive also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 months). Dark Sky Meter Pro's advantage is chart position (#195 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Star Archive is free to download; Dark Sky Meter Pro costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Dark Sky Meter Pro ships an update every 6 months, Star Archive every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dark Sky Meter Pro | Star Archive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[2.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-sky-meter-pro/id6755680551/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#195** | — |
| Size | 5 MB | 174 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DDQ](https://appshunter.io/developer/418328467) | [Kyungil Myung](https://appshunter.io/developer/6784481684) |

## What reviewers say

### Dark Sky Meter Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-sky-meter-pro/id6755680551)

**Currently charting:** #195 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

This app uses your iPhone's camera to measure sky brightness, providing scientific readings for light pollution. Track measurements, compare sites, and plan stargazing with cloud forecasts and astronomical data.

**Highlights:** Sky brightness measurement (SQM, Bortle, NELM), Device-specific calibration, Save and sync measurements locally, Export data to CSV, Cloud forecast for planning, Sky quality map comparison, Sunrise, sunset, and moon phase data

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Star Archive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-archive/id6784481682)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dark Sky Meter Pro free?

Dark Sky Meter Pro costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Star Archive free?

Star Archive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Dark Sky Meter Pro or Star Archive have ads?

Neither Dark Sky Meter Pro nor Star Archive shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dark Sky Meter Pro or Star Archive?

Dark Sky Meter Pro ships an update every 6 months, and Star Archive every 2 days. Most recently, Dark Sky Meter Pro was updated on October 30, 2026 and Star Archive 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.*