SkyView® Satellite Guide vs Orbitrack
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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.
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | SkyView® Satellite Guide | Orbitrack |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.1 (589 ratings) | 4.7 (962 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.3% of reviews | 75.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 589 | 962 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #22 — better | #58 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 138 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Terminal Eleven LLC | Southern Stars Group, LLC |
Customer experience
SkyView® Satellite Guide
Orbitrack
User reviews
SkyView® Satellite Guide
From 589 App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
SkyView® Satellite Guide
No in-app purchases
Orbitrack
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SkyView® Satellite Guide free?
Is Orbitrack free?
Which has better reviews, SkyView® Satellite Guide or Orbitrack?
Do SkyView® Satellite Guide or Orbitrack have ads?
Which is updated more often, SkyView® Satellite Guide or Orbitrack?
Which is more popular, SkyView® Satellite Guide or Orbitrack?
Other comparisons















