SpaceNerd vs Sky Clock
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SpaceNerd
Identify celestial bodies and learn stargazing with this app that uses your device's sensors. Explore constellations, planets, and deep-sky objects, even in daylight or through clouds. It offers guidance modes and a fun game to test your skills.
- Identify stars and planets
- Live guidance to celestial objects
- Constellation search and navigation
- Offline astronomical catalog
- Daylight and cloud-friendly stargazing
- Interactive astronomy game
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SpaceNerd helps you recognize what you’re pointing at in the sky and learn to navigate by stars, planets, and deep-sky objects — using your iPhone’s motion sensors and approximate location. Modes • What (Identity): aim at a star or planet to identify likely matches. • Where (Guidance): pick a star, planet, or deep-sky object and get live azimuth/altitude guidance to find it. If the object is not in the built-in catalog, SpaceNerd can look it up through SIMBAD. • Const (Constellations): search a constellation and use a guide star to point at it. • Game: race to find a target star — timer stops when you lock on the star. Tip: Tap “?” in the top-right corner anytime for quick help and instructions. How it works SpaceNerd uses the device’s motion sensors and your approximate location to estimate where you’re pointing, then compares that direction to a catalog of stars, planets, constellations, and selected online astronomical object data. It doesn’t require stars to be visible on the camera image — so it can still be useful in daylight, through thin clouds, or even indoors for learning and practice. For best accuracy, move slowly and use it outdoors with a clear view of the sky. Privacy No account required. No ads. No analytics or tracking. Location is used on-device to compute sky positions and is not stored or shared. Data sources Planet positions are based on NASA/JPL ephemerides. The built-in star catalog was compiled offline using SIMBAD for RA/Dec references and Stellarium for constellation asterisms. Expanded Where searches may query SIMBAD, operated by CDS, for astronomical object lookup. Wikipedia may be opened when you tap “Open Wikipedia.”
Sky Clock
Identify celestial objects and events visible from your location. Get real-time sky maps, ISS pass predictions, and forecasts for meteor showers and planetary alignments. Works offline without ads or accounts.
- Interactive star and planet map
- ISS pass predictions
- Meteor shower and conjunction forecasts
- Offline functionality
- Stargazing log
- Customizable alerts
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Never miss what's above you. Sky Clock answers one question: what's worth stepping outside for, from exactly where you're standing? It picks tonight's best sight, plans your week of sky (Space Station passes, planets, the Moon, sky pairings, meteor shower peaks), and points your phone straight at it. No giant star catalog to dig through. No account, no sign-up. WHAT SKY CLOCK DOES - Tells you about everything worth seeing, without asking: the Space Station, China's space station, Starlink trains, planets at their best, sky pairings and meteor shower peaks. It taps your wrist 10 minutes before the Station flies over. - Only when it's clear: every alert comes with a clear-sky verdict, and on a clear evening you'll hear about it that afternoon. - Shows you where to look: which planets are up right now, and your phone to find them. - A beautiful interactive map of every star you can actually see, drawn for the light you really have. - A plan for your week: the best things to see, and when, with the best night picked for you. - The aurora: know the nights it could reach you. - Tonight's plan, dusk to dawn, and time travel to any moment in the sky. - Photo tips for every sighting, made for your iPhone. - A Sky Passport of everything you've seen, synced privately through your own iCloud account. - Share Plus with up to 6 people in your family. BUILT FOR YOUR BACKYARD Everything is computed for your exact location and works offline. No ads, no account, no clutter. Just you, the sky, and a straight answer. Whether you're wondering "what's that bright thing?" or you never want to miss a meteor shower again, Sky Clock is the sky companion that meets you right where you're standing. Look up. We'll tell you when. SKY CLOCK PLUS Most of Sky Clock needs Sky Clock Plus. - Sky Clock Plus, Yearly: $44.99 per year, with a 14-day free trial. - Sky Clock Plus, Monthly: $6.99 per month. - Sky Clock Plus Forever: $89.99, a one-time purchase. - Plus can be shared with up to six family members through Family Sharing. - Subscriptions are charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase and renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel any time in your Apple Account settings. - Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ - Privacy Policy: https://www.skyclockapp.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SpaceNerd at none against Sky Clock's 3. SpaceNerd also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 4 days vs weekly). Sky Clock's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Sky Clock sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. SpaceNerd asks for nothing beyond the download.
SpaceNerd holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.
SpaceNerd ships an update every 4 days, Sky Clock weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SpaceNerd | Sky Clock |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.7 (3 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 76 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dan Lazarescou | Eric Rosenbaum |
In-app purchases
SpaceNerd
No in-app purchases
Sky Clock
- Sky Clock Plus, Monthly$6.991 Month
- Sky Clock Plus, Yearly14 Days trial$44.991 Year
- Plus Forever$89.99







