SunCalc.net vs LightPlan
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SunCalc.net
This application provides real-time information about sunrise and sunset times. It also includes a compass, world time display, and weather forecasts, making it a comprehensive tool for understanding solar events and local conditions.
- Sunrise and sunset times
- Integrated compass
- World time display
- Weather forecasts
- Time zone awareness
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SunCalc.net on your iPhone! Know the sunset time. Simple tool for everyone who wants to know when and where sun rises or goes down. Combined with compass and time, and weather. Knows time zones and shows time word wide - probably nicest tool to know the time at some place at the Earth, so far :)
LightPlan
Visualize the sun and moon's path in 3D on real-world terrain to plan outdoor photography. See golden hour, blue hour, and shadows with precision. Save locations and camera angles for perfect shots.
- Photorealistic 3D sun and moon visualization
- Interactive timeline for golden hour and blue hour
- 3D building shadow visualization
- Smart location library with custom camera angles
- Syncs locations across devices
- Elevation charts and compass
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Know exactly when the sun will light the façade, before you book the shoot. LightPlan shows where the sun will be and where the shadows will fall at any address, on any date, at any time. Find the building, slide the timeline, and see the light. That's it. Made for real estate and architecture photographers who would rather be shooting than learning an app. BOOK THE RIGHT HOUR, NOT A GUESS Your client wants the front elevation in full sun and the lobby glass without glare. Drop a pin on the property, scrub through the day and watch the sun swing across the building. You'll know which morning or afternoon gives you the light you need, and you can give the agent a time with confidence. SEE THE SHADOWS BEFORE THEY RUIN THE SHOT Neighbouring towers, trees and parking structures cast shadows you only discover on site. LightPlan's 3D shadow map shows how shadows move across the property through the day, so you can avoid the hour when half the façade goes dark. SCOUT WITHOUT DRIVING THERE Photorealistic 3D maps let you look at the building from the street or from above, the way your camera or drone will see it. Work out your angles at your desk and arrive knowing exactly where to set up. NAIL THE TWILIGHT EXTERIOR Twilight shoots are won or lost in a few minutes. LightPlan gives you sunset, golden hour, blue hour and twilight times for the exact location, so you're set up and lit before the sky turns. SHARE THE PLAN, SKIP THE BACK-AND-FORTH Send the agent, architect or your second shooter a link to the exact place, time and view. It opens in LightPlan or in any web browser, so nobody needs the app to see the plan. SIMPLE BY DESIGN No dashboards. Nothing to set up. One clean map and one timeline. If you can use Maps, you can use LightPlan, and you'll have your answer in seconds. ON EVERY DEVICE YOU WORK FROM Plan on your Mac at the office, walk the client through it on iPad, and check it on your iPhone on site. Saved locations sync through iCloud. Stop guessing at the light. Plan it. Privacy‑focused design · No ads, ever · Works worldwide Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://lightplan.app/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SunCalc.net at none against LightPlan's 3. SunCalc.net also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 57%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. LightPlan sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. SunCalc.net asks for nothing beyond the download.
SunCalc.net holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SunCalc.net has 63 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of SunCalc.net's written reviews are positive against 57% of LightPlan's.
SunCalc.net ships an update every 6 weeks, LightPlan every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SunCalc.net | LightPlan |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (63 ratings) — better | 4.6 (10 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 88.2% of reviews — better | 57.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 63 — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 77 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Oleg Shanyuk | Rivolu LLC |
Customer experience
SunCalc.net
LightPlan
Bugs and requests
SunCalc.net
Reported bugs
8 issues- Sun angle disappears when changing date
- Compass is not accurate
- App crashes on older iOS versions
- App crashes right after launch
- Crashes at start
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- Time zone error
- Compass sign not accessible
- Button to return map to North Up is unavailable
Requested features
17 requests- Display altitude and azimuth of the sun
- Ability to set a specific time, not just current time
- Option for Apple Maps or Open Source Maps
- Compass feature for orientation
- Add moon information
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- Apple Watch version
- Add sun attitude/angle in real time
- Display hours/minutes of sunlight for the day
- Add a moon app or functionality
- Include twilight times
- Add azimuth and angle of the pole star
- Include a solar clock/sundial design calculator
- Fix button to return map to North Up
- Add sun arc and solar noon
- Option to switch to metric units
- Satellite imagery map mode
- iPad app
LightPlan
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SunCalc.net
No in-app purchases
LightPlan
- Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Lifetime Membership$59.99








