Comparison

Scan the Sky vs Sky Map

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

Head to head
About

Scan the Sky

Discover celestial events and track satellites with real-time data. Explore light pollution maps, meteor shower indexes, and constellation guides. Get space weather alerts and cloud cover forecasts for optimal stargazing.

Highlights
  • Light pollution scouting map
  • Meteor shower index and alerts
  • ISS live tracking
  • Seasonal constellation guide
  • Space weather matrix
  • Cloud cover and lunar projections
Read full description

Scan the Sky is your ultimate live cosmic tracking and orbital discovery tool. Whether you are a casual stargazer or an avid astronomer, our real-time atmospheric and celestial data ensures you never miss a moment under the stars. Key Features: -Light Pollution Scouting Map: Tap anywhere on our interactive map to calculate regional skyglow degradation. Find the perfect Class 1 pristine dark sky site with our Bortle scale indicator. -Meteor Shower Index: Get real-time radiant tracking and peak activity alerts for major cosmic streams, from the Perseids to the Geminids. -ISS Live Tracking: Our orbital matrix tells you exactly when the International Space Station is flying overhead, including altitude, speed, and visibility flags. -Seasonal Constellation Guide: Beautiful vector mapping and historical lore for constellations tailored exactly to your GPS coordinates and the current season. -Space Weather Matrix: Live NOAA data streams alert you to active solar storms and geomagnetic Kp-index spikes so you can chase the aurora. -Live Cloud Cover & Lunar Projections: Open-Meteo forecasts combined with exact moon phase calculations ensure you only head out when the canopy is crystal clear.

About

Sky Map

Identify stars, planets, and constellations by pointing your device at the sky. Offers offline functionality, multiple visual styles, and real-time ISS and meteor shower tracking. Includes Apple Watch and widget support.

Highlights
  • Live star and planet identification
  • Offline functionality
  • ISS and meteor shower tracking
  • Multiple visual sky styles
  • Apple Watch integration
  • 13 customizable widgets
  • 100% red night mode
Features
Read full description

Point your phone at the sky — and know. Sky Map identifies every star, planet, constellation and deep-sky object you point at, instantly and fully offline. 115,000+ real stars and all 88 constellations render at buttery frame rates, aligned to your exact horizon. FIRST ON THE APP STORE • ISS Pass Live Activity — a countdown and pass arc right on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. Never miss a flyover again. • Meteor-shower peak nights and darkness countdowns as Live Activities too. THE SKY, YOUR WAY — 8 STYLES Realistic, Chart, Atlas (engraved gold), Red Night, Astro-photo, Aurora, Ink & Paper, Minimal Mono. Your chosen look follows you across the app, all 13 widgets and Apple Watch. BUILT FOR REAL NIGHTS • True 100% red night mode — protects your dark adaptation on every screen • Stargazing Index: one 0–10 score from clouds, Moon and light pollution • Drag-to-align compass correction + magnetic-interference detection • Stars twinkle. Planets don't. (That's real physics — and how you tell them apart.) ON YOUR WRIST Wrist-guided ISS spotting with a live bearing ring, a whole-sky dial, a solar-system orrery you can scrub through time, and Smart Stack complications that surface exactly at dusk. 13 WIDGETS Live sky chart, 360° horizon panorama, Moon phase calendar, solar system now, constellation of the day, aurora Kp index, the Sun live from NASA SDO, event countdowns with a one-tap reminder bell, and a red Nightstand mode for StandBy. HONEST BY DESIGN • Works 100% offline — airplane mode, backcountry, anywhere • No account. Your location never leaves your device. • The free tier stays free, forever. Premium adds depth: the 115,000-star deep catalog, 450+ NGC/IC objects, satellites, comets, event reminders, observation lists with FREE iCloud sync, and every style. The sky is out tonight. Go look up. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. • Terms of use: https://deeplyai.app/terms.html • Privacy policy: https://deeplyai.app/privacy.html Support & Contact Need help? • Rate us! Got feedback? info@deeplyai.app

Screenshots

Scan the Sky4 screens
Sky Map4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Scan the Sky at 5.0 against Sky Map's 4.0. Scan the Sky also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume 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. Sky Map sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Scan the Sky asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Scan the Sky holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Scan the Sky versus Sky Map: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScan the SkySky Map
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequency—Every 3 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAbigail WiseDEEPLY AI

Customer experience

Scan the Sky

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Sky Map

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Scan the Sky

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Sky Map

Subscriptions3
  • Sky Map Premium Weekly$1.997 Days
  • Sky Map Premium Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Sky Map Premium Yearly$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Sky Map Premium Lifetime$79.99

Questions

Is Scan the Sky free?
Scan the Sky is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sky Map free?
Sky Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Scan the Sky or Sky Map?
Scan the Sky is rated higher. Scan the Sky averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Sky Map averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Scan the Sky or Sky Map have ads?
Sky Map shows ads; Scan the Sky does not.

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