Comparison

+Frames vs SF Photo Guide

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

Head to head
About

+Frames

This app helps astrophotographers plan their shots by providing a sky atlas, equipment-specific target recommendations, and field-of-view previews. It also offers an AI assistant for personalized advice and project tracking for deep-sky objects.

Highlights
  • Sky atlas with millions of stars and deep-sky objects
  • Ranked target recommendations based on equipment and sky conditions
  • True field-of-view preview for cameras and eyepieces
  • Mosaic planning up to 4x4
  • Project tracking for exposures and filters
  • AI assistant for personalized astrophotography advice
  • Augmented Reality (AR) mode for target location
Read full description

+Frames plans your night: what to shoot, when, and how. THE ATLAS The whole sky in your pocket: stars down to magnitude 21 when you zoom in, 8,800 deep-sky objects, Sun, Moon and planets, asteroids, comets and satellites moving live. Real astrophotos lie on the map, galaxies are drawn with their position angle, and every object opens a card with the numbers that matter tonight. TONIGHT'S TARGETS, RANKED The Night tab scores every object for YOUR equipment, YOUR sky and YOUR horizon: altitude, field-of-view fit, filter fit, moon, usable dark window. Grade A to E, the best target for tonight is always on top. FRAME IT Field-of-view preview for your camera or eyepiece. Rotate the frame, plan mosaics up to 4x4, check the sampling, swap camera and telescope while the frame stays on screen. An 8-sector horizon profile per site keeps trees and rooftops out of your plans. PROJECTS Track every target over nights: hours target per filter, subs, exposure, gain, location. Camera angle and position are saved with the project. Export the plan in ASIAIR format or as a NINA target set. Observing log for stars, lucky imaging log for Sun, Moon and planets. ASTRO BUDDY Your assistant knows the whole app, your gear, your site and tonight's sky. It does the work from the chat: creates projects, logs your nights, saves gear and locations, opens any screen. Ask what to shoot, which filter fits, how long to expose. Name a device and it looks up the specs and saves it. New here? Type "tour". AND MORE Weather on every location: clouds, dew, rain and wind for the next 48 hours. Calendar with moon phases, moon-free nights, eclipses and showpiece targets at their best, searchable up to 2050. Plate solving puts your own photos on the atlas. AR mode shows where a target sits in your real sky. Red night mode protects your dark adaptation. Works offline; no account, your data stays on your device (private iCloud backup). +Frames Premium unlocks the whole app, 7-day free trial. Languages: EN, DE, FR, ES, IT, PT, JA, KO, ZH, UK, RU, PL, TR. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ App terms: https://plus-frames.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://plus-frames.com/privacy.html

About

SF Photo Guide

Discover San Francisco's best photo spots with this guide. It provides exact locations, optimal shooting times, directions, and what gear to bring. Live weather and public cameras help you check conditions before you go.

Highlights
  • 38 hand-picked photo locations
  • Exact vantage point directions
  • Optimal shooting times (sunrise/sunset)
  • Live weather and public camera feeds
  • Gear recommendations
  • Explore by area or map
  • Access and parking notes
Features
Read full description

SF Photo Guide is the field companion for photographing San Francisco — built by a photographer to answer the questions a map can't: where exactly do you stand, when is the light right, and is the fog about to ruin your shot? 38 hand-picked locations, from the classic Golden Gate overlooks to quiet corners most guides miss — each with the exact spot, the best time to shoot it, how to get there, and what to bring. WHERE TO STAND Every location is scouted and pinned. Get directions straight to the exact vantage point — no more circling the block hoping you're in the right place. WHEN TO GO See today's sunrise, sunset, and golden-hour windows for each spot, so you show up when the light is doing the work for you. CHECK THE SKY FIRST San Francisco lives and dies by the fog. Live weather plus a dedicated Cams tab — public cameras around the Bay, from Sutro Tower to the coast — let you see current conditions before you leave home, so you don't drive across town for a wall of gray. BROWSE YOUR WAY • Explore by area — six regions, from the Marin Headlands to the East Bay • Scan the full map of every location • Sort the list by what's closest to you, or filter by the best light • Check every live camera in one place EVERY SPOT INCLUDES • The exact location and directions • Best time of day and light • What to bring — lens, tripod, filters • Notes on access, parking, and what to expect One-time purchase. No subscription, no ads, no account required. Made by Derick Daily, a San Francisco photographer and creative director. Half of photography is knowing where to stand — this guide saves you the scouting so you can focus on the shot. Grab your camera. The City's waiting.

Screenshots

+Frames4 screens
SF Photo Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: +Frames at Free against SF Photo Guide's $6.99. SF Photo Guide's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). On rating, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

+Frames is free to download; SF Photo Guide costs $6.99 up front. +Frames sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. SF Photo Guide asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for +Frames against 5.0 for SF Photo Guide. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SF Photo Guide has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard5 real differences · 4 level
+Frames versus SF Photo Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter+FramesSF Photo Guide
PriceFree — better$6.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings)
Number of ratings15 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size746 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLEVIN GIDEON MERANERDerick Daily

In-app purchases

2 purchases

+Frames

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
None

SF Photo Guide

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is +Frames free?
+Frames is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SF Photo Guide free?
SF Photo Guide costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, +Frames or SF Photo Guide?
+Frames and SF Photo Guide are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 5 ratings respectively.
Do +Frames or SF Photo Guide have ads?
Neither +Frames nor SF Photo Guide shows ads.

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