Planetary Hours vs StarLoc
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Planetary Hours
This app provides a dynamic clock that displays planetary hours, adapting to the natural flow of the sun. It offers real-time calculations based on your location and supports various iOS features like Live Activities and Apple Watch complications for at-a-glance timing updates.
- Dynamic Island & Live Activities
- Apple Watch Complications
- StandBy & Lock Screen Widgets
- Interactive Home Screen Widgets
- Precision Astronomy Calculations
- Offline Processing
- Customizable Notifications
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Unlock the ancient rhythm of time with Planetary Hours. Unlike standard mechanical clocks, planetary hours adapt to the natural flow of the sun, dividing day and night into unequal segments ruled by the seven classical planets. Whether you practice electional astrology, planetary magic, or simply wish to align your schedule with cosmic rhythms, this app is your precision tool. EXCLUSIVE iOS FEATURES We leverage the full power of your device to keep you in sync without opening the app: Dynamic Island & Live Activities Track the current planetary ruler and remaining time instantly from your Lock Screen or Dynamic Island. Never miss a transition again. Pro Apple Watch Experience • Complications: Rich data on your wrist. See the current planet, symbol, and countdown directly on your favorite watch face (Modular, Infograph, Circular supported). • Standalone App: Fully functional on Apple Watch, no iPhone needed nearby. StandBy & Lock Screen Widgets Turn your iPhone into a magical altar clock at night. Our StandBy widgets look stunning on your nightstand, while Lock Screen widgets give you at-a-glance timing updates. Interactive Home Screen Widgets Beautiful, data-rich widgets that adapt to Light and Dark mode. View the current hour, next transition, and day/night progress directly from your Home Screen. CORE FEATURES • Precision Astronomy: Real-time calculation based on your exact GPS coordinates and local sunrise/sunset. • Chaldean Order: Accurate sequence for all 7 classical planets (Saturn to Moon). • Privacy First: All calculations happen offline on your device. No tracking, no data collection. • Notification System: Get notified exactly when the planetary hour changes. Download now to synchronize your life with the solar rhythm.
StarLoc
This app provides precise GPS coordinates, altitude, and time data in a night-friendly interface for astronomers. It offers essential information for telescope alignment and observation, with a focus on preserving night vision.
- Night-friendly dark theme
- Accurate latitude and longitude (DMS)
- Decimal coordinate support
- Real-time GPS updates
- Local, UTC, and offset time
- Elevation in meters and feet
- Horizontal and vertical accuracy
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StarLoc is a clean, distraction-free GPS tool designed specifically for stargazing. Get accurate latitude, longitude, altitude, and time in formats ready for telescope alignment all in a night-friendly interface. Built for the Night Sky • Unlike standard GPS apps, StarLoc uses a dark theme with red and green text to help preserve your night vision during astronomy sessions. Accurate Location Data • Latitude & Longitude (DMS format) • Decimal coordinates for quick entry • Real-time GPS updates • High-accuracy positioning data Time & Alignment Ready • Local time (12-hour & 24-hour) • UTC time and offset • Date display for precise telescope setup Altitude & Accuracy • Elevation in meters and feet • Horizontal and vertical accuracy readings Simple, focused and reliable. StarLoc provides the essential data you need to align your telescope and start observing. Perfect for backyard astronomers and dark-sky explorers alike.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: StarLoc at Free against Planetary Hours's $4.99. StarLoc also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). Planetary Hours's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
StarLoc is free to download; Planetary Hours costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
StarLoc holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Planetary Hours ships an update monthly, StarLoc every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Planetary Hours | StarLoc |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 雪 蔺 | Daniel Schaich |
Customer experience
Planetary Hours
StarLoc
In-app purchases
Planetary Hours
No in-app purchases
StarLoc
No in-app purchases









