Armillary vs Live Orbit
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Armillary
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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.
Live Orbit
Explore orbital space with a beautiful 3D globe, plan satellite passes, and use AR mode to identify objects in the sky. Access detailed satellite data, space weather, launch information, and more. Designed for both casual users and space enthusiasts.
- Live 3D satellite tracking
- Visible pass planning
- Augmented Reality (AR) mode
- Space weather and launch tracking
- Radio observation recordings
- Moon, Sun, and Mars spacecraft modes
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Look up. There’s a lot going on. Live Orbit is a satellite tracker for iPhone and iPad. Explore Earth on a 3D globe, find the International Space Station and other satellites, and plan your next chance to look up. TAKE CONTROL OF TIME Explore calculated satellite positions up to a week backward or forward. Scrub through orbital motion, then glide back to live tracking. TRACK SATELLITES Follow satellite positions and orbit paths. Search by name or NORAD ID, explore satellite details, and save favorites for later. PLAN YOUR NEXT PASS See predicted passes for your location, with timing and viewing direction. Check the information you need before heading outside. POINT YOUR PHONE Use Sky Mode to explore nearby sky directions, identify a satellite marker, and return to its details. Switch to the camera background when you want AR guidance. Pointing depends on your device's sensors and tracking conditions; satellite positions are calculated from orbital data. GO BEYOND EARTH ORBIT Explore Moon, Sun, and Mars views, spacecraft information, launches, space weather, and space news in one place. LISTEN TO SPACE Play available SatNOGS ground-station recordings with playback controls and signal imagery. KEEP AN OBSERVING LOG Use Radio Toolkit to plan sessions, save observations, and work through radio and antenna calculations. Receiving satellite radio signals requires external equipment; your iPhone is not a satellite radio receiver. Location is optional. Enable it for local passes and pointing. No Live Orbit account is required. Some features require Live Orbit Pro, available as an auto-renewable subscription. The purchase screen shows the current price, duration, and any eligible trial before you subscribe. You can restore purchases in the app and manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple account settings. Privacy Policy: https://www.liveorbitapp.com/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://www.liveorbitapp.com/terms/ Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Armillary at none against Live Orbit's 2. Armillary also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). 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
Both are free to download. Live Orbit sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Armillary asks for nothing beyond the download.
Armillary ships an update daily, Live Orbit every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | Armillary | Live Orbit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 179 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 晗 林 | Apps Made Better |
In-app purchases
Armillary
No in-app purchases
Live Orbit
- Live Orbit Pro Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Live Orbit Pro Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year








