Comparison

Armillary vs SkyScope

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

Head to head
About

Armillary

Features
Read full description

Armillary — your pocket stargazing guide. Raise your phone to the sky and instantly identify the constellations, planets, and bright stars overhead. Whether you're a seasoned astronomer or looking up for the very first time, Armillary makes stargazing effortless and fun. KEY FEATURES REAL-TIME SKY MAP Powered by your gyroscope and compass, the star map follows wherever you point. Constellation lines and planet labels are clear at a glance. AR STARGAZING Open your camera and watch constellation lines and celestial labels overlay the real night sky in real time — what you see is what's there. SEARCH & NAVIGATE Looking for a particular star or constellation? Type its name, follow the arrow, and locate your target with ease. TIME TRAVEL Drag the timeline to see the sky at any moment, past or future. Relive last night's meteor shower or preview next week's planetary conjunction. CELESTIAL ENCYCLOPEDIA Tap any object to see its name, apparent magnitude, distance, home constellation, and more. ASTRONOMICAL EVENT CALENDAR Meteor showers, solar and lunar eclipses, planets at opposition... See upcoming astronomical events at a glance, with reminder notifications so you never miss a spectacular sky. NIGHT MODE A full red-light filter protects your dark-adapted vision — designed for real observing out in the field. WORKS OFFLINE 9,000+ bright stars, all 88 constellations, and planetary ephemeris data are built in — no connection needed. Dark-sky sites rarely have signal, and that's exactly what Armillary was built for. Armillary is inspired by the armillary sphere devised by Zhang Heng, an astronomer of the Eastern Han dynasty (c. 78–139 CE) — one of humanity's earliest models of the celestial sphere. We hope to carry that same curiosity and wonder into the modern age.

About

SkyScope

Identify stars and constellations from photos using AI. Explore celestial objects, compare matches, and learn astronomy facts. Offers free basic identification with an optional premium upgrade for more detailed context.

Highlights
  • AI-assisted photo identification
  • Constellation and star naming
  • Astronomy facts
  • Object comparison
  • Exploration tab for celestial bodies
  • Observation context
Features
Read full description

SkyScope is free to download and works without an account. Take or import a night-sky photo for an AI-assisted identification. No AR calibration or compass setup is needed. WHAT'S INSIDE • Scan: take a new photo or import one from your library; see the primary constellation, confidence explanation, object counts, named stars, and a concise astronomy fact • Compare candidates when the visual match is uncertain • See location and time as observation context, separate from the visual estimate • Explore tab: browse planets, stars, constellations, and deep-sky objects by category FREE RESULT shows the primary constellation, stats, an astronomy fact, and the first two named stars. Premium adds observing context, all named stars, planet candidates, and moon details when detected. IMPORTANT SkyScope is an astronomy and reference app — not an astrology app. Results are estimates; use the suggested photo and candidate checks before treating a match as certain. Premium is available as a Weekly Premium auto-renewable subscription or Lifetime Premium (one-time purchase), depending on your App Store region. Prices may vary by country or region. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://skyscope.skybringup.com/privacy/

Screenshots

Armillary4 screens
SkyScope4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Armillary at none against SkyScope's 2. Armillary also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 4 weeks). SkyScope's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SkyScope sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Armillary asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Armillary ships an update daily, SkyScope every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Armillary versus SkyScope: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArmillarySkyScope
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer晗 林skybringup

In-app purchases

None

Armillary

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

SkyScope

Subscriptions1
  • Weekly Premium$1.997 Days
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$6.99

Questions

Is Armillary free?
Armillary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SkyScope free?
SkyScope is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Armillary or SkyScope have ads?
Neither Armillary nor SkyScope shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Armillary or SkyScope?
Armillary ships an update daily, and SkyScope every 4 weeks. Most recently, Armillary was updated on October 15, 2026 and SkyScope on October 28, 2026.

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