Astraea vs Star Scholar
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Astraea
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Learn astronomy by exploring. Observe the stars, test your intuition and discover what explains what you see. Astraea connects astronomy, history and mythology through interactive lessons, maps and challenges that help you understand the universe. No previous knowledge needed. Observe, think and discover Explore constellation maps, make a prediction and reveal its explanation. Each activity invites you to connect ideas and understand them. A contextual glossary helps with the words you encounter. History, mythology and the science of the sky Discover stars, planets and galaxies, and learn how people have observed, named and studied the sky. Explore myths, stories and traditions from different cultures. Scientific explanations and traditions are presented in their own context. Four new regions explore the solar system's past, space travel, cosmic images and the skies of Japan. Keep your discoveries Unlock 19 collectibles connected to what you learn. Explore their details, find out what each piece represents and choose a favorite for your profile. Customize your rocket and follow your journey with streaks and achievements. A question for every day Open the journal, discover an idea and try the daily quiz. Widgets bring part of the sky to your Home Screen. Return to the Atlas to explore its maps. Return to what you want to understand The Observatory brings together review and learning tools. One review session is available free each day. Premium expands access and adds tools to track and revisit your learning; see the available benefits in the app. Available in English and Spanish. The app contains ads and optional subscriptions. Prices, billing periods and the terms of any eligible offer are shown before purchase. Manage your subscription through the relevant store. Privacy Policy: https://astraea-app.com/privacy-en Terms and Conditions: https://astraea-app.com/terms-en Title: Astraea Premium Monthly. Duration: 1 month. Price: 3.99 USD. Title: Astraea Premium Annual. Duration: 1 year. Price: 39.99 USD.
Star Scholar
Explore and learn about all 88 constellations with this offline guide. It teaches patterns, mythology, and helps you log your real-sky sightings. Features flashcards and quizzes to reinforce learning.
- Learn all 88 constellations
- Offline field guide
- Mythology and history
- Flashcard practice
- Connect-the-stars quiz
- Sky journal for sightings
- Achievements
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STAR SCHOLAR - LEARN THE NIGHT SKY Star Scholar turns "what is that star?" into knowing all 88 constellations. It is a calm, offline field guide and study companion for the real sky above you - no account, no ads, no internet connection required. Learn your first constellation or fill in the gaps: Star Scholar shows what is overhead right now, teaches the patterns and the stories behind them, helps you remember them for good, and logs every one you find in the real sky. TONIGHT'S SKY - Which constellations are up right now, ranked by how close they are to their highest point in the sky. - A Focus of the Night pick highlights something worth learning while it is well placed for viewing. - Moon phase, twilight timing, and a light-pollution reality check tell you what you can actually expect to see. - Rising Soon and Past Peak sections round out the night. EVENING SKY NUDGES - Turn on an occasional evening reminder for when a constellation you have not learned yet is well placed in your sky. - It looks a few days ahead and varies the pick, so a week of nudges is a short tour, not the same name every night. - Off by default. The schedule is worked out on your device; nothing is sent from a server. THE FULL CATALOG - All 88 constellations, with illustrated figures for nearly all, labelled bright stars, and the mythology and history behind each one. - Best viewing months, hemisphere, spotting difficulty, and the constellation's current altitude and direction in your sky. - Search by name, filter by hemisphere or difficulty, and sort to suit how you study. FLASHCARDS - Practice recognition with unlabelled star patterns, then tap to reveal the answer key. - Swipe to sort known from still-learning. Decks lead with your weakest cards and the ones you have never seen, so every session works on what you need most. CONNECT THE STARS QUIZ - Draw a constellation from memory by tracing between real stars, with decoys mixed in to keep it honest. - Lines are graded only when you submit, so you can redraw and correct yourself first. - Optional assists dim the decoys or reveal one line at a time, and never affect your score. SKY JOURNAL - A log of the constellations you have actually found in the sky, kept separate from what you have studied - a first sighting is its own milestone. - Log a sighting from a constellation's page or the Journal tab. Each entry keeps the date, your location, and an optional note and photo. - Filter by constellation, by note or photo, and by when it happened; sort newest or oldest first. - Export the whole journal, or just the filtered view, as a formatted PDF - figures, notes, and photos laid out to keep or print. ACHIEVEMENTS - Eight to earn across both sides of the app: from your first constellation to the full 88, plus a perfect quiz and ten real-sky sightings. - A quiet bit of fanfare the moment you earn one. The full set lives in the Journal tab, each showing what it takes and the date you got there. LIVE COMPASS - On phones with the right sensors, hold your device up and see what you are pointing at. - Tap "Find on compass" from a constellation's page and the dial walks you onto it - a rim marker, a closing arc, and a turn cue - then tells you where you are on it. - A dark red night-vision mode keeps your eyes adapted to the dark. BUILT TO WORK OFFLINE - Every star, constellation, city, and illustration ships inside the app - the same on a mountaintop with no signal as in your backyard. - Your learning progress and your Sky Journal - notes and photos included - are stored only on your device. PRIVACY - No account, no sign-up, no ads, no analytics, no tracking. - Your location is used only to calculate the sky. It stays on your device and is never sent anywhere. - Evening nudges, if you turn them on, are scheduled by your device. No notification is ever sent from a server. For backyard stargazers, hikers and campers, students, and anyone who has looked up and wondered.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Star Scholar at none against Astraea's 2. Star Scholar also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Astraea sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Star Scholar asks for nothing beyond the download.
Astraea ships an update fortnightly, Star Scholar every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | Astraea | Star Scholar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 73 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jose Carlos Villarreal | Michael McComas |
In-app purchases
Astraea
- Astraea Premium Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Astraea Premium Annual$39.991 Year
Star Scholar
No in-app purchases









