Comparison

HALO Eclipse Moments vs Eclipse Simulator

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

Head to head
About

HALO Eclipse Moments

Features
Read full description

HALO Eclipse Moments On August 12, 2026, millions of people will witness one of nature's most extraordinary events: a Total Solar Eclipse. HALO Eclipse Moments helps you prepare, observe and record your personal eclipse experience. Discover what the eclipse will look like from your location, follow every stage of the event, and contribute to a unique international project exploring how people experience totality. Whether this is your first eclipse or your tenth, HALO helps you make the most of this unforgettable day. Prepare for Eclipse Day The weeks before a total solar eclipse are part of the experience. HALO gradually prepares you for eclipse day with location-based information, practical guidance and interactive moments that help you know what to expect. Observe the Eclipse A total solar eclipse is about much more than looking at the Sun. HALO helps you discover the remarkable changes happening around you—from the changing landscape and sky to unique phenomena such as the Diamond Ring and other moments of totality. With the Observation Explorer, you'll learn what to look for and when to look for it. Record Your Experience Every eclipse is experienced differently. During and after the eclipse, HALO invites you to record your observations, thoughts and impressions through short surveys and optional audio recordings, creating your own personal eclipse story. Contribute to Eclipse Research By participating in HALO, you become part of an international project investigating how people experience total solar eclipses. Together, participants create a unique collection of observations that will help preserve and better understand this extraordinary natural event. Key Features • Personal eclipse information for your viewing location • Find out whether you are inside the path of totality • Countdown to August 12, 2026 • Interactive TimeTravel journey from weeks before the eclipse until totality • Eclipse timeline with key moments • Observation Explorer • Explanations of eclipse phenomena • Personal surveys throughout your eclipse experience • Optional audio recordings • Personal HALO profile • Secure cloud storage • Available in English, Spanish and Dutch Whether you are travelling to Spain, Iceland or another location along the path of totality, HALO Eclipse Moments helps you prepare, observe and record one of the most remarkable experiences nature has to offer. Prepare. Observe. Record.

About

Eclipse Simulator

Features
Read full description

Eclipse Simulator is an educational and investigative tool for finding unusual solar and lunar eclipses by combining an observing location, horizon conditions, and long-term Earth-rotation variation (ΔT). Its search catalog spans astronomical year -999 (1000 BCE) through 5000 CE. Study each event through maps, a ground-level view, and contact times. Key features • Search solar and lunar eclipses by date range, eclipse type, location, and other available criteria. • Narrow the search with an observing location, solar horizon conditions near sunrise or sunset, lunar moonrise or moonset, and ΔT. • View solar-eclipse center and limit lines, partial-eclipse regions, and lunar-eclipse visibility on Apple Maps. • Choose an observing location and play the changing alignment of the Sun, Moon, and shadow from the ground. • Inspect the contact times that exist for the event, including C1–C4 for solar eclipses and P1–P4/U1–U4 for lunar eclipses. • Compare the standard ΔT model with alternative scenarios to understand how uncertainty affects historical and future timing and paths. • View stars and constellation lines adjusted to the selected event time instead of showing today’s sky. • Share the selected event as CSV or JSON and the displayed screen as PNG or PDF. On iPhone, the app uses focused screen-by-screen navigation. On iPad, its wider layout keeps the catalog and event workspace within easier reach. If you grant location access, it is used only to set the observing point to your current location. You can also select a point on the map or enter coordinates. About time and accuracy Results are modeled values derived from the ephemeris, ΔT model, and Earth-orientation model recorded with the bundled data. The broad search catalog includes a low-precision analytical ephemeris, while the calculation provenance for a selected event is shown in the app and exports. Uncertainty remains in ΔT, future civil-time rules, polar motion, lunar-limb terrain, local terrain, and weather. Historical and future views use present-day Apple Maps and do not reconstruct borders or cities from the selected era. Lunar-eclipse color is schematic. Use the app for education, understanding astronomical geometry, and comparing model assumptions. Do not rely on it as a guaranteed value for observation planning, navigation, scientific conclusions, or safety-critical decisions.

Screenshots

HALO Eclipse Moments4 screens
Eclipse Simulator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Eclipse Simulator at every 4 days against HALO Eclipse Moments's every 2 weeks. HALO Eclipse Moments's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HALO Eclipse Moments ships an update every 2 weeks, Eclipse Simulator every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
HALO Eclipse Moments versus Eclipse Simulator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHALO Eclipse MomentsEclipse Simulator
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB3.2 GB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStichting Hemel en DampkringFumikazu Kondo

In-app purchases

None

HALO Eclipse Moments

No in-app purchases

None

Eclipse Simulator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HALO Eclipse Moments free?
HALO Eclipse Moments is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Eclipse Simulator free?
Eclipse Simulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HALO Eclipse Moments or Eclipse Simulator have ads?
Neither HALO Eclipse Moments nor Eclipse Simulator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HALO Eclipse Moments or Eclipse Simulator?
HALO Eclipse Moments ships an update every 2 weeks, and Eclipse Simulator every 4 days. Most recently, HALO Eclipse Moments was updated on October 14, 2026 and Eclipse Simulator on October 6, 2026.

Other comparisons