SkyView® Satellite Guide vs SkySafari
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
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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.
SkySafari
This powerful pocket planetarium helps you explore the night sky. Identify celestial objects by pointing your device, view astrophotography, and plan your stargazing with real-time visibility information. Offers guided tours and pronunciation guides for a comprehensive learning experience.
- Point and identify stars, planets, and constellations
- Explore astrophotography in the Image Gallery
- View real-time sky visibility in 'Sky Tonight'
- Simulate the sky across time and locations
- Access guided audio tours and pronunciation guides
- Night Vision mode for dark observation
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SkySafari 8 is a powerful planetarium that fits in your pocket, puts the universe at your fingertips, and is incredibly easy to use! Simply hold your device to the sky and quickly locate comets, planets, constellations, satellites, and millions of stars and deep sky objects. Whether you are a beginner or a longtime astronomy enthusiast, SkySafari 8 is your perfect stargazing companion, packed with interactive information, rich graphics, and a beautifully refined interface. What’s New in Version 8 + New Theme - A new look of the app with a fresh visual palette. + Image Gallery - Explore the universe through astrophotography. Import images directly from AstroBin. + Sky Tonight - Jump to the new Tonight section to see what’s visible in your sky right now. Expanded information has been designed to help plan your night and includes Moon & Sun info, calendar curations, and the best positioned deep sky and solar system objects. If you're new to SkySafari 8, here’s what you can do: + Point & Identify - Hold your device to the sky and instantly identify stars, constellations, planets, satellites, and more. The chart updates automatically with your movements. + OneSky - See what other users are observing in real-time. This feature highlights objects in the sky chart and indicates how many users are looking at them. + Orbit Mode - Lift off from Earth and travel to the planets, moons, and stars. + Guided Audio Tours - Listen to more than four hours of audio narration to learn the history, mythology, and science of the heavens. + Pronunciation Guide - Learn how to correctly pronounce the names of hundreds of celestial objects, from stars to constellations and planets. + Simulate the Sky - See an eclipse in the past or future! Simulate the night sky from anywhere on Earth many years backward or forward in time. + Night Vision - Preserve your eyesight after dark. SkySafari Premium Subscription Unlock amazing features with the optional Premium Subscription, including: + Massive Database - Access a massive deep sky database. + Custom Image Import - Upload and manage your own astrophotography images in the Image Gallery and show them in the sky chart. + Enhanced Tools - Access curated news, events, connected stargazing features, a light pollution map, and more. For telescope control and even more advanced features, check out SkySafari 8 Plus and SkySafari 8 Pro! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.livesky.com/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SkySafari at 4.7 against SkyView® Satellite Guide's 4.1. SkySafari also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (18K vs 597). SkyView® Satellite Guide's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and price ($3.99 vs $6.99). On ads and device support 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 SkySafari $6.99 up front. SkySafari sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. SkyView® Satellite Guide asks for nothing beyond the download.
SkySafari holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SkySafari has 18K ratings behind it against 597, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of SkyView® Satellite Guide's written reviews are positive against 64% of SkySafari's.
SkyView® Satellite Guide ships an update every 7 months, SkySafari monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SkyView® Satellite Guide | SkySafari |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 — better | $6.99 |
| Rating | 4.1 (597 ratings) | 4.7 (18K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.3% of reviews | 63.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 597 | 18K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #51 | #14 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 859 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Terminal Eleven LLC | Simulation Curriculum Corp. |
Customer experience
SkyView® Satellite Guide
SkySafari
User reviews
SkyView® Satellite Guide
From 597 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
SkySafari
From 18K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 User-friendly
- 🚀 Accurate sky mapping
- 🌌 Detailed information on celestial objects
- 💡 Helpful for stargazing and astronomy
- 🔭 Useful for telescope owners
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🤑 Excessive upselling and in-app purchases
- 🤯 Confusing version and feature differences
- 🙄 Intrusive notifications and sounds
- 🤔 Difficult to use some features
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
SkySafari
Reported bugs
4 issues- Compass not working correctly
- Disappearing or missing objects
- Time travel feature issues
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- Ability to hide toolbar and UI elements
- More customization options
- Improved telescope integration
- Better comet and new object tracking
In-app purchases
SkyView® Satellite Guide
No in-app purchases
SkySafari
- SkySafari Premium7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- SkySafari Premium7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Apollo Lunar MissionsFree
Questions
Is SkyView® Satellite Guide free?
Is SkySafari free?
Which has better reviews, SkyView® Satellite Guide or SkySafari?
Do SkyView® Satellite Guide or SkySafari have ads?
Which is updated more often, SkyView® Satellite Guide or SkySafari?
Which is more popular, SkyView® Satellite Guide or SkySafari?
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