Comparison

SunTrace vs Sun Path & Shadow Tracker

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

Head to head
About

SunTrace

Features
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SunTrace visualizes the sun and moon's journey across the sky in a beautiful, minimalist chart — right on your home screen. WHAT YOU GET ◉ Sun & Moon Path Chart Track the sun's arc from sunrise to sunset and the moon's path during nighttime — all on a single 24-hour timeline. See the current position in real-time. ◉ Temperature Chart Hourly temperature curve with cold-to-hot color gradient. Precipitation probability overlay shows when rain is expected. ◉ Golden Hour & Blue Hour Know exactly when the perfect light begins. Color-coded light phase bar shows golden hour, blue hour, and twilight times at a glance. ◉ Home Screen Widgets Three widget sizes (Small, Medium, Chart) show sunrise, sunset, temperature, and a countdown to the next event — without opening the app. ◉ Date Explorer Browse any past or future date to see the sun path, moon phase, and historical weather data powered by Open-Meteo. ◉ Sun Compass Point your phone to see where the sun is right now. The compass overlays the sun's arc with azimuth and altitude — perfect for planning photo shoots. ◉ Share Cards Generate beautiful Instagram-ready cards showing today's sun path, golden hour times, and moon phase. Share your light with the world. PRO FEATURES ($2.99 one-time) • Multiple cities (up to 5) • Smart alerts (golden hour, sunrise, sunset push notifications) • Premium widgets (Medium & Chart) • 4 widget themes (Dark, Light, Sunset, Ocean) • Unlimited date browsing • No ads PERFECT FOR Photographers chasing golden hour Runners & outdoor enthusiasts Anyone who loves tracking daylight Astronomy & moon phase enthusiasts No account required. No subscription.

About

Sun Path & Shadow Tracker

Features
Read full description

Where the sun will be and where the shadow will fall, for any place at any hour. Bearing, height above the horizon and shadow length, computed on your phone: offline, no account. For photographers chasing golden hour, gardeners, and anyone choosing an apartment, a campsite or a terrace table. THE THREE NUMBERS • Bearing — the compass direction the sun is in, right now • Height — how far above the horizon it stands, in degrees • Shadow — how long a shadow anything casts, in meters or feet They are the largest type on the screen, because they are the answer to the question you opened the app to ask. DRAG THROUGH THE DAY Take hold of the timeline and the sundial moves under your thumb. The shadow sweeps around the ground — short at noon, long at dusk — and vanishes the moment the sun sets. It is the fastest way to understand a day's light without reading a chart. HOLD IT UP TO THE SKY Point the camera at the horizon and the sun's whole arc is drawn over the view: where it rose, where it stands now, where it will set. It uses the compass and the tilt of your phone. No photo is taken, saved or sent. THE MAP Drop a pin anywhere and see the shadow direction for that exact spot. Useful before you view an apartment, plant a tree, book a table, or carry a tripod up a hill for nothing. SUN PATH PLANNING Look around Sun Path before you decide: it shows where the sun is for you right now. Everything else needs Sun Path Planning: a one-time purchase or a monthly subscription. It covers everything above, and: • Any date — next Tuesday, next June, or the morning of a wedding two years out • Any location on earth, not only where you are standing • Save the places you keep coming back to WHO IT IS FOR • Photographers and film crews chasing the golden hour and the blue hour • Gardeners working out which corner gets afternoon light • Architects, builders and solar installers checking overshadowing • Anyone choosing an apartment, a hotel room, a campsite or a terrace table HOW ACCURATE IT IS, AND WHAT IT ASSUMES The position is computed with the NOAA solar algorithm and is precise to a fraction of a degree. It assumes a level, unobstructed horizon: it knows nothing about hills, buildings, trees, cloud or weather. Sunrise and sunset are ideal-horizon times and will differ from what you see from your window. Treat it as a very good first answer, not a survey. Not for navigation, aviation or maritime use. It says nothing about UV — it is not a health or sun-exposure app. PRIVACY No ads. No analytics. No tracking. Your location is used on your phone to compute the sun and is never sent to me. The full policy is at the address below. BUILT BY ONE PERSON I read and answer every email, usually within two business days. If the sun looks wrong where you are, tell me the place, the date and the time and I will look — solar position is exact geometry, so a real error is reproducible and fixable. Support and privacy: https://anilsancarr-web.github.io/sunpath-site/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://anilsancarr-web.github.io/sunpath-site/privacy/ Bali photograph by Zexsen Xie, CC BY 2.0.

Screenshots

SunTrace4 screens
Sun Path & Shadow Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Sun Path & Shadow Tracker at none against SunTrace's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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. SunTrace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Sun Path & Shadow Tracker sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SunTrace ships an update monthly, Sun Path & Shadow Tracker every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
SunTrace versus Sun Path & Shadow Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSunTraceSun Path & Shadow Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB60 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developermint-softanil sancar

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SunTrace

One-time1
  • SunTrace Pro$1.99
2 purchases

Sun Path & Shadow Tracker

Subscriptions1
  • Sun Path Planning — Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
One-time1
  • Sun Path Planning — Lifetime$9.99

Questions

Is SunTrace free?
SunTrace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sun Path & Shadow Tracker free?
Sun Path & Shadow Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SunTrace or Sun Path & Shadow Tracker have ads?
SunTrace shows ads; Sun Path & Shadow Tracker does not.
Which is updated more often, SunTrace or Sun Path & Shadow Tracker?
SunTrace ships an update monthly, and Sun Path & Shadow Tracker every 3 weeks. Most recently, SunTrace was updated on October 5, 2026 and Sun Path & Shadow Tracker on October 10, 2026.

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