Solstix vs Sky Planner
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Solstix
Visualize celestial bodies in stunning 3D with real-time astronomical data. Track space weather, follow NASA missions, and explore planets with live imagery. Perfect for photographers, stargazers, and anyone fascinated by the cosmos.
- 3D celestial bodies with NASA textures
- Real-time sun, moon, and planet data
- Dynamic horizon with real-time sky colors
- Artemis II mission tracker
- Space weather alerts
- Live Mars rover and SDO imagery
- 3D Moon phases with haptic feedback
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The sky is doing something incredible right now. Solstix shows you what. STUNNING 3D VISUALS, REAL DATA Solstix isn't just another sunrise app. It's a beautifully designed astronomy app featuring stunning 3D celestial bodies with NASA textures, accurate sun, moon, and planet data, and a dynamic horizon that shifts through real-time sky colors from predawn to golden hour to night. NEW: 3D UNIVERSE Every celestial body is now a beautiful 3D model. Drag to rotate like a globe. Long-press for a glow burst. The Moon shows realistic phase lighting with the terminator shadow exactly where it should be. Saturn has its iconic 4-band ring system. Smooth 60fps rendering brings the solar system to life. NEW: ARTEMIS II MISSION CENTER Follow NASA's historic crewed lunar mission. Track the spacecraft from launch to lunar flyby to splashdown. Meet the crew. Browse photos from the Moon. Get live mission updates. Watch the countdown to Artemis III. NEW: SPACE WEATHER Know what the Sun is doing. Track solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and geomagnetic storms in real time. See activity levels from Quiet to Severe. Powered by NASA DONKI. LIVE FROM MARS See real images from the Curiosity rover. Pick from 6 cameras. You're looking at another planet. LIVE FROM SPACE See the Sun through NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. Explore Earth from deep space with NASA EPIC imagery. THE MOON, PERFECTED 3D Moon with realistic phase lighting. Drag through 60 days of phases with haptic feedback. NASA Dial-A-Moon shows tonight's view. DAYLIGHT, VISUALIZED Follow the Sun's path. Watch the horizon change. Know exactly when golden hour begins. FEATURES • 3D Sun, Moon, and planets with NASA textures • Saturn's rings with realistic tilt • Artemis II tracker with crew and photos • Space weather alerts • 8 planets with visibility data • Live Mars rover images • Live NASA SDO imagery • Moon phase with haptic scrubbing • Dynamic horizon with stars • Twilight timeline and golden hour countdown • NOAA-powered calculations MADE FOR PEOPLE WHO LOOK UP Photographers. Stargazers. Hikers. Or anyone who has ever looked up and wondered. No ads. No subscriptions. No tracking. 100% free. Data: NASA SDO, GSFC, LRO, EPIC, JPL Mars, DONKI, Artemis, NOAA
Sky Planner
This app helps you plan stargazing and astrophotography sessions by providing cloud cover, Moon conditions, and observing target information. It offers forecasts up to 14 nights ahead and includes features for meteor showers and observing challenges.
- Cloud cover and Moon condition forecasts
- Observing target catalog
- Meteor shower field guides
- Observing challenges
- 72-hour cloud-cover map
- Horizon profiles
- Astrophoto sharing
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Is tonight worth heading out under the stars? Make your plan before you pack. DarkScout brings cloud cover, Moon conditions, darkness and observing targets into one place. Every feature is included, with no trial or subscription required. KNOW WHEN TO GO Check your Tonight recommendation, Astro Score and best observing window. Open Score Lens to understand which conditions help your night and which get in the way. PLAN YOUR NEXT SESSION Choose a target, date and location. Plan up to 14 nights ahead, compare observing locations and explore the full astronomical object catalog. NEW: LEONIDS METEOR WATCH Explore the 2026 field guide, check the radiant and Moon for your observing place, and record a timed watch with a red-screen meteor counter. Pause for breaks, save your counts and share a summary. The new field guide is in English and works offline. BUILD YOUR OBSERVING HABIT Explore 14 observing challenges with practical steps, local progress and direct links to the planning tools you need. CHECK BEFORE YOU DRIVE Review the 72-hour cloud-cover map, save unlimited observing spots and use horizon profiles to plan around your view. Set location alerts and your own thresholds. ENJOY THE NIGHT TOGETHER Browse astrophotos, share original-quality images, or join and host observing sessions with participant chat and weather backup plans. For stargazing with your eyes, binoculars or a telescope, and for planning astrophotography. Forecasts can change; recheck conditions before leaving. Requires iOS 26 or later. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sky Planner at none against Solstix's 1. Solstix's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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
Both are free to download. Solstix sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sky Planner asks for nothing beyond the download.
Solstix holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Solstix ships an update every 3 days, Sky Planner every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Solstix | Sky Planner |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | 4.8 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 48 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hashsecure Technologies LLC | Sebastian Mraz |
Customer experience
Solstix
Sky Planner
In-app purchases
Solstix
- Support Solstix$2.99
Sky Planner
No in-app purchases









