Comparison

Vista Viewer vs Gnomon

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

Head to head
About

Vista Viewer

This app allows you to view VR180 and standard 2D videos on your iPhone or iPad without a headset. It offers intuitive touch controls for exploration, multiple projection modes, and optimized performance for immersive playback.

Highlights
  • VR180 SBS playback
  • Multiple projection modes
  • Interactive camera controls
  • Stereo preview
  • Accurate FOV handling
  • Local file playback
Features
Read full description

Vista is a 180° side-by-side (SBS) VR video player for iPhone and iPad. It’s built to make viewing VR180 footage without a headset easy and intuitive providing the best experience. Designed with performance and visual correctness in mind, Vista uses Apple’s Metal graphics stack to render immersive video smoothly while giving you intuitive touch controls for exploration and inspection. Because of this, Vista also works equally well for high definition playback of standard 2D movies that are a part of your collection. With Vista, you may open videos that are on the device or shared files using the system Files picker. You may also browse and stream from an optional VistaServer library on your local network. Playback issues make File Sharing on MacBook unusable for most high quality videos. VistaServer was built to allow storage of high quality video files on your MacBook or external drive connected to MacBook and then share them to Vista player over local network with the highest quality possible. It is available on App Store for MacOS. Key Features • VR180 SBS Playback View 180° equirectangular side-by-side video with correct hemisphere selection for left or right eye sources. • Multiple Projection Modes Switch instantly between: – VR180 equirectangular – Equidistant fisheye (with adjustable lens FOV) – Standard flat 2D playback • Interactive Camera Controls Drag to orbit the view, pinch to zoom with physically consistent field-of-view behavior, and double-tap to reset orientation. • Stereo Preview Inspect both eyes side-by-side for stereo alignment and quality checks. • Accurate FOV Handling Per-axis field-of-view math prevents stretching on tall or wide displays, preserving correct geometry across orientations. • Local Files, No Uploads Open .mp4 and .mov files directly from your device using the system document picker. Videos never leave your device. • Optimized for iPhone and iPad SwiftUI interface with Metal-backed rendering for smooth playback and responsive interaction. Ideal For • Reviewing VR180 camera footage • Inspecting stereo alignment and framing • Previewing fisheye captures before processing • Exploring immersive video without a headset Privacy Policy: https://github.com/cgdusek/support/blob/main/Vista/PRIVACY.md Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Gnomon

Features
Read full description

GNOMON is an AR sun and moon path planner. Point your phone at the sky and see exactly where the sun will rise, travel and set, drawn over your camera view, before it happens. The gnomon was the first sun instrument in human history. This is yours. EVERYTHING IS COMPUTED No estimates and no fake data. GNOMON runs a full onboard ephemeris and computes every azimuth, altitude and event time from real astronomy for the exact place you are standing. Sunrise, solar noon, sunset, golden hour, blue hour, moonrise and moonset are all calculated on your device. SEE THE LIGHT BEFORE IT ARRIVES - The full sun path drawn over your camera, with past and future arcs - Live azimuth and altitude readout as you move your phone - A compass ruler with cardinal directions on the horizon - Event markers for sunrise, golden hour, noon, sunset and blue hour - A 24 hour time scrubber, drag it to preview the sky at any minute of the day - Tap any event to jump straight to that moment - Notifications before golden hour and sunset so you never miss the light MADE FOR PEOPLE WHO CHASE LIGHT Photographers planning a shot. Filmmakers scouting a location. Architects reading shadows. Or anyone who simply wants to know where the sun will be at 7 in the evening. CALIBRATED LIKE AN INSTRUMENT A quick compass calibration and a fine alignment step let you drag the on screen marker onto the real sun, locking the overlay to the sky in front of you. GNOMON PLUS Upgrade to unlock the full instrument: - Moon mode with the full lunar path, phases, illumination, moonrise and moonset - Date travel, preview the equinoxes and solstices and plan months ahead - MIL angle readouts in NATO 6400 for precision work Your location and camera feed never leave your device. Nothing is recorded and nothing is uploaded. Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Lkcu0DWHy4q1U7TOvaT6jWfqO6LwIc5V2Q1fGxc1V2g/edit?usp=sharing Terms of Use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m8JbuZmxgvlHB5qY7044NLyuA3pjJ3rzBy8fsmnKQhc/edit?usp=sharing

Screenshots

Vista Viewer4 screens
Gnomon4 screens

Verdict

The call

Vista Viewer and Gnomon are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

Both are free to download. Vista Viewer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Gnomon sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Vista Viewer versus Gnomon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVista ViewerGnomon
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCharles DusekAhmet Giray Ucar

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Vista Viewer

Subscriptions1
  • Professional$4.991 Month
One-time1
  • Professional Lifetime$24.99
2 purchases

Gnomon

Subscriptions2
  • Gnomon+ Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Gnomon+ Yearly$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Vista Viewer free?
Vista Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Gnomon free?
Gnomon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Vista Viewer or Gnomon have ads?
Neither Vista Viewer nor Gnomon shows ads.

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