# Star Explorer：星空观测 vs Star Map Night Sky

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Star Map Night Sky at none against Star Explorer：星空观测's 1. Star Map Night Sky also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Star Explorer：星空观测's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Star Explorer：星空观测 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Star Map Night Sky asks for nothing beyond the download.

Star Explorer：星空观测 ships an update every 2 days, Star Map Night Sky fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Star Explorer：星空观测 | Star Map Night Sky |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Fortnightly |
| Size | 22 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| 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：星空观测

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

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Star Explorer Pro 买断 | $12.99 | 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：星空观测 free?

Star Explorer：星空观测 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：星空观测 or Star Map Night Sky have ads?

Star Map Night Sky shows ads; Star Explorer：星空观测 does not.

### Which is updated more often, Star Explorer：星空观测 or Star Map Night Sky?

Star Explorer：星空观测 ships an update every 2 days, and Star Map Night Sky fortnightly. Most recently, Star Explorer：星空观测 was updated on October 8, 2026 and Star Map Night Sky on October 17, 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.*