# Planet Explorer vs Star Map Night Sky

The clearest difference is ads: Planet Explorer at none against Star Map Night Sky's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Planet Explorer ships an update every 2 weeks, Star Map Night Sky fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planet Explorer | Star Map Night Sky |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Size | 3 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lion Force Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/6800077614) | [tanzsoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/959660906) |

## What reviewers say

### Planet Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planet-explorer/id6800313468)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 Planet Explorer free?

Planet Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Star Map Night Sky free?

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

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

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

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

Planet Explorer ships an update every 2 weeks, and Star Map Night Sky fortnightly. Most recently, Planet Explorer was updated on October 25, 2026 and Star Map Night Sky on October 24, 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.*