Comparison

SkyView® Satellite Guide vs Orbitrack

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

Head to head
About

SkyView® Satellite Guide

Identify satellites in the sky by pointing your device upwards. Explore Earth mode to discover and view satellites over distant locations, with detailed information and shareable photos. Schedule reminders for upcoming visible passes.

Highlights
  • Identify satellites by pointing device at the sky
  • Explore Earth mode with interactive satellite discovery
  • View detailed satellite information and images
  • Schedule sighting reminders
  • Capture and share satellite photos
  • Includes space junk and rocket bodies
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

From the makers of the award winning SkyView® app comes a stunning new way to discover over 20,000 satellites day or night. Satellite spotting is now for everyone. Just point your iPhone at the sky to identify the International Space Station, Hubble, GPS satellites, and thousands more as they soar above your location. Discover new and interesting satellites in Earth mode. Pan around the Earth, touch satellites over distant countries, zoom-in for a close-up view, and take wonderful photos to share with friends. Features: • Simple: Point your iPhone at the sky to identify satellites passing overhead at your location. • Interactive: Pan around Earth to discover new satellites and zoom-in for a beautiful 3D close-up view. • Customizable: Build a list of your favorite satellites and filter other satellites from your view. • Sighting reminders: Quickly schedule reminders to notify you when a visible satellite will be in the sky above your location. • Night friendly: Preserve your night vision with two easy-access night modes (red or green filters). • Social: Capture and share beautiful images with friends and family on social networks. • Space Junk: Uncover thousands of rocket bodies and other space debris that orbit Earth. • Mobile: Does not require a data signal or GPS to function, take it anywhere. • Comprehensive: Includes 20,000 satellites with thousands of facts, descriptions, tidbits, and satellite images.

About

Orbitrack

Explore thousands of satellites in orbit with this augmented and virtual reality spaceflight simulator. Visualize spacecraft, track their paths, and learn about their missions with detailed 3D models and real-time data. Experience space from a new perspective.

Highlights
  • Augmented and Virtual Reality modes
  • Track over 5000 spacecraft
  • Detailed 3D satellite models
  • Voice-controlled VR
  • Radio frequency data for amateur satellites
  • Real-time satellite data updates
  • Time Flow controls
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Orbitrack is a brand-new, Augmented-and-Virtual-Reality satellite tracker and spaceflight simulator! It's your pocket guide to the thousands of spacecraft in orbit around our home planet. 1) More than 16,000 spacecraft, including all active satellites, classified military satellites, the International Space Station, and SpaceX's Starlink communication satellites. 2) Rich new graphics, rewritten using Apple's Metal graphics API, show atmospheric effects, city lights on Earth’s night side, and highly-detailed 3D satellite models. 3) Voice-controlled Virtual Reality mode that works with any smartphone VR viewer. iPhone only. 4) A true "augmented reality" mode that helps you find satellites in the sky by blending the sky chart with video from your phone's camera. Works with Orbit and Satellite views too! 5) Radio frequency data for amateur radio satellites. 6) Updated descriptions for hundreds of spacecraft. Every satellite now has a description from n2yo.com. 7) Supports the latest Apple hardware and software: iPhone 13, iPad Pro, and iOS 15. Check the Mac App Store for our MacOS version! 8) Requires at least iPhone 6 or iPad Air with 64-bit processor and iOS 12 or later. 9) New sound effects and ambient background music. 10) New Time Flow controls let you easily set the date and time, and animate the view. If you're new to Orbitrack, here's what it can do: • Track thousands of satellites. Orbitrack will tell you when spacecraft pass overhead, show you where to find them in the sky, and let you track them across the planet. • Teach you about the International Space Station, Starlink, and hundreds of other satellites in orbit, with comprehensive mission descriptions. • Show the view from any satellite, and see the Earth from orbit just as the “bird” sees it! Orbitrack includes detailed 3D models for dozens of satellites – see them up close from any angle! • Stay on top of the space race. Orbitrack updates its satellite data from n2yo.com and celestrak.com every hour. When new spacecraft are launched, maneuver into new orbits, or fall back into the atmosphere, Orbitrack shows you what’s happening up there, right now. Orbitrack isn’t just powerful – it’s incredibly easy to use! You don’t need an aerospace degree to become an expert satellite tracker. Orbitrack puts advanced capabilities at your fingertips, with the same intuitive touch interface you use every day. The new VR mode is an out-of-this-world experience. Become an astronaut without ever leaving Planet Earth! And if that’s not enough, Orbitrack includes detailed, built-in Help – and expert, responsive technical support.

Screenshots

SkyView® Satellite Guide4 screens
Orbitrack4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Orbitrack at 4.7 against SkyView® Satellite Guide's 4.1. Orbitrack also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 55%). SkyView® Satellite Guide's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

SkyView® Satellite Guide costs $3.99 and Orbitrack $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Orbitrack holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 589 and 962 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of SkyView® Satellite Guide's written reviews are positive against 76% of Orbitrack's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SkyView® Satellite Guide ships an update every 7 months, Orbitrack every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
SkyView® Satellite Guide versus Orbitrack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkyView® Satellite GuideOrbitrack
Price$3.99 — better$4.99
Rating4.1 (589 ratings)4.7 (962 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.3% of reviews75.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings589962 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank#22 — better#58
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB138 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTerminal Eleven LLCSouthern Stars Group, LLC

Customer experience

SkyView® Satellite Guide

All ratings589 ratings
Positive78.9%
Neutral5.6%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews219 reviews
Positive55.3%
Neutral12.8%
Negative32.0%

Orbitrack

All ratings962 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews78 reviews
Positive75.6%
Neutral9.0%
Negative15.4%

User reviews

SkyView® Satellite Guide

From 589 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Detailed satellite information
  • 👍 Helpful for identifying satellites
  • 👍 Great for stargazing and tracking satellites
  • 👍 Informative and concise interface
  • 👍 Wonderful app for space enthusiasts

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy zoom and navigation
  • 🐛 Outdated satellite data
  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance across devices
  • 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
  • 🤔 Confusing to use for some users

Orbitrack

From 962 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great features
  • 👍 User-friendly
  • 💡 Innovative tracking
  • 🔍 Detailed satellite information
  • 🌍 Realistic Earth and sky views

Room to improve

  • 🤑 Paid app
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes
  • 🔊 Annoying music
  • 🗺️ Outdated satellite data
  • 🔍 Inaccurate magnitude estimates

Bugs and requests

SkyView® Satellite Guide

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
  • Compass/orientation not working correctly in AR mode
  • Satellite data not updating in a timely manner
  • Unpredictable behavior when zooming and panning

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more satellite data, including newer launches
  • Improve AR mode to show all visible satellites
  • Allow selecting multiple satellite categories at once
  • Add option to save favorite satellites or locations
  • Provide more detailed satellite information and predictions

Orbitrack

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Motion tracking issues
  • Stuck on old date
  • Accelerometer not working
  • Satellite positions not accurate

Requested features

5 requests
  • Sort by magnitude feature
  • Favorite satellites option
  • Customizable field of view
  • Notifications for visible passes
  • Metric/imperial toggle

In-app purchases

None

SkyView® Satellite Guide

No in-app purchases

None

Orbitrack

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SkyView® Satellite Guide free?
SkyView® Satellite Guide costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Orbitrack free?
Orbitrack costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SkyView® Satellite Guide or Orbitrack?
Orbitrack is rated higher. SkyView® Satellite Guide averages 4.1 out of 5 from 589 ratings, while Orbitrack averages 4.7 from 962 ratings.
Do SkyView® Satellite Guide or Orbitrack have ads?
Neither SkyView® Satellite Guide nor Orbitrack shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SkyView® Satellite Guide or Orbitrack?
SkyView® Satellite Guide ships an update every 7 months, and Orbitrack every 4 months. Most recently, SkyView® Satellite Guide was updated on September 28, 2026 and Orbitrack on September 26, 2026.
Which is more popular, SkyView® Satellite Guide or Orbitrack?
SkyView® Satellite Guide currently peaks at #22 in the App Store charts, and Orbitrack at #58. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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