# StarTeller vs MessierMate

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MessierMate at none against StarTeller's 1. StarTeller's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly) and ratings volume (9 vs 3). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. StarTeller sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MessierMate asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for StarTeller against 5.0 for MessierMate. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

StarTeller ships an update every 2 weeks, MessierMate monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StarTeller | MessierMate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starteller/id6760154168/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messiermate-night-sky-tracker/id6782169332/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 152 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Peryhelion LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882888047) | [CosmicFlow Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882544353) |

## What reviewers say

### StarTeller

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starteller/id6760154168)

This astronomy planner helps astrophotographers find the best times to capture deep-sky objects. It provides detailed visibility data, object coordinates, and an interactive sky map, all calculated precisely on your device.

**Highlights:** 13,000+ deep-sky objects, Full visibility data (rise, peak, set times), Interactive sky map with AR mode, Offline calculations, Customizable locations, Night vision red mode

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| StarTeller Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


### MessierMate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messiermate-night-sky-tracker/id6782169332)

This free astronomy app helps deep-sky observers track celestial objects. It shows what's visible in your sky tonight, sorted by urgency, and allows you to plan future observing sessions and log your observations. It features a dark theme and red night mode for preserving night vision.

**Highlights:** Track 110 Messier objects, Real-time altitude and azimuth, Urgency-based object sorting, Monthly planning calendar, Session logging with notes and photos, Offline functionality, Red Night mode

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StarTeller free?

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

### Is MessierMate free?

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

### Which has better reviews, StarTeller or MessierMate?

StarTeller and MessierMate are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 9 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do StarTeller or MessierMate have ads?

Neither StarTeller nor MessierMate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, StarTeller or MessierMate?

StarTeller ships an update every 2 weeks, and MessierMate monthly. Most recently, StarTeller was updated on October 14, 2026 and MessierMate on October 21, 2026.

---

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