# Star Explorer vs Star Map Night Sky

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Star Map Night Sky at none against Star Explorer's 4. Star Explorer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On price and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Star Explorer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Star Map Night Sky asks for nothing beyond the download.

Star Explorer ships an update every 3 days, Star Map Night Sky fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Star Explorer | Star Map Night Sky |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Fortnightly |
| Size | 31 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beijing XingheBit Science & Technology Development Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882505330) | [tanzsoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/959660906) |

## What reviewers say

### Star Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-explorer-night-sky-map/id6799640893)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 云端 AI 月度订阅 | $1.99 | per month |
| 云端 AI 年度订阅 | $9.99 | per year |
| 观测工具永久解锁 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Star Explorer Pro 买断 | $6.99 | one-time |


### Star Map Night Sky

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-map-night-sky-spaceutil/id6809397224)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Star Explorer free?

Star Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Star Map Night Sky free?

Star Map Night Sky is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Star Explorer or Star Map Night Sky have ads?

Star Map Night Sky shows ads; Star Explorer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Star Explorer or Star Map Night Sky?

Star Explorer ships an update every 3 days, and Star Map Night Sky fortnightly. Most recently, Star Explorer was updated on November 6, 2026 and Star Map Night Sky on November 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*