SkyQI vs AstroFinder
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SkyQI
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SkyQI turns your smartphone into a sky quality meter. Upload a photo of the night sky and our algorithm instantly analyzes it — detecting stars, measuring artificial light contamination, and calculating your sky's Bortle class and SQM value. FEATURES • Instant Analysis — Upload a night sky photo and get your Bortle scale (1-9) and SQM reading in seconds • Light Pollution Map — Explore an interactive map with NASA VIIRS satellite data overlay showing light pollution across India • Sky Conditions Forecast — Check cloud cover, seeing, and transparency before heading out to stargaze • Photo Gallery — Browse night sky photos from citizen scientists across the country • Learn — Read articles about light pollution, dark sky destinations, astrophotography tips, and more • Track Progress — View your measurement history and personal statistics WHO IS IT FOR? • Amateur astronomers planning observation sessions • Students and teachers doing citizen science projects • Anyone curious about the quality of their night sky • Environmental advocates tracking light pollution trends SkyQI is a citizen science project started by Suhani Gupta in Gurgaon. Every measurement you upload contributes to building India's most detailed light pollution database. Free to use. No account required to upload.
AstroFinder
Transform your iPhone into a telescope finder without motors or alignment stars. It identifies star patterns in real-time, displaying your aim on a red-on-black chart with a guiding arrow. Find planets, deep sky objects, and more, all while running offline.
- Real-time telescope pointing
- Plate-solving star identification
- Night-vision friendly interface
- Offline operation
- Finds planets, deep sky objects, and stars
- Alt-azimuth and equatorial modes
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**AstroFinder turns your iPhone into a plate-solving push-to finder for any telescope — no motors, no alignment stars, no setting circles.** Clamp your phone beside the scope. AstroFinder takes a short exposure of the real sky, identifies the star pattern the way a research plate-solver does, and repeats about once a second — so you always know exactly where you're pointed. A red-on-black star chart shows your aim live, and a simple arrow guides you onto whatever you want to see. **Find anything** • Planets, Sun and Moon — sorted by what's up right now • Deep sky by catalog number — Messier, NGC, IC, and more, on a keyboard-free keypad • Named stars and showpiece double stars • "Best this month" — well-placed showpieces for your location, tonight, nearest to where you're already aimed **Built for the eyepiece** • Fully night-vision friendly: red on black, dimmable below the phone's own minimum • Alt-azimuth mode for Dobsonians (no field rotation) or equatorial mode for tracking mounts • Tap any object on the chart for details, then push-to it • Optional constellation lines, labels, and progressive zoom as you close in • Works in portrait or landscape, at any mounting angle **How it works** AstroFinder mounts alongside your telescope and syncs to your eyepiece in seconds. From then on, the chart and all guidance are aligned to your scope's actual aim. Everything runs on-device — no internet needed under the stars. A one-month free trial gives you a full new-moon cycle to try it. Subscription then renews yearly; cancel anytime. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.santangeli.net/astrofinder/privacy Clear skies.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SkyQI at none against AstroFinder's 1. SkyQI also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). AstroFinder's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). On price 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. AstroFinder sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $12.99 per year. SkyQI asks for nothing beyond the download.
SkyQI ships an update every 6 weeks, AstroFinder every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SkyQI | AstroFinder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 90 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bhuvan Kumar Gupta | Peter Santangeli |
In-app purchases
SkyQI
No in-app purchases
AstroFinder
- AstroFinder Yearly1 Month trial$12.991 Year








