# xSky vs Starry Map

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: xSky at none against Starry Map's 7. xSky also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (80% vs 62%). Starry Map's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and rating (4.5 vs 4.2). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Starry Map sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. xSky asks for nothing beyond the download.

Starry Map holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 75 and 246 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of xSky's written reviews are positive against 62% of Starry Map's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

xSky ships an update every 3 months, Starry Map every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | xSky | Starry Map |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (75 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xsky/id850941042/reviews) | **[4.5 (246 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starry-map/id1176591850/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 75 | **246** |
| Positive reviews | **79.7% of reviews** | 62.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 60 MB | 102 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oleg Sur](https://appshunter.io/developer/1454732575) | [にゃんこソフトウェア](https://appshunter.io/developer/1843663669) |

## What reviewers say

### xSky

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xsky/id850941042)

Explore the cosmos with a virtual telescope. Point your device at the sky to identify celestial bodies. Zoom in for detailed views and use a search function to locate specific objects.

**Highlights:** Virtual telescope functionality, Identify Sun, Moon, Planets, Stars, Galaxies, Zoom up to a million times, Screen lock to stop motion, Object search arrow, Soft music and sound effects

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🔭 Realistic space simulation
- ✨ Beautiful visuals and music
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 💡 Great for learning astronomy
- 💯 Highly accurate object identification

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashing issues
- 🧭 Location services not working
- 🔄 Inconsistent with reality (out of sync)
- 📱 Not optimized for all devices (e.g., iPhone 12)
- 🎛️ Hard to control

**Reported bugs**

- App keeps crashing
- Location services not working/picking a country
- App closes immediately upon opening
- App is glitchy and moves by itself
- Search button not working in horizontal position

**Requested features**

- Camera feature for high-quality photos
- Ability to turn down exposure for photos
- Facts read aloud about celestial objects
- Traditional constellation names (e.g., Virgo, Taurus)
- Show International Space Station or other satellites


### Starry Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starry-map/id1176591850)

Identify stars, constellations, and satellites by pointing your phone at the night sky. Augmented reality overlays display celestial names in real-time. Receive notifications for upcoming satellite passes and meteor showers.

**Highlights:** AR celestial identification, Constellation and star catalog, Satellite tracking and alerts, Meteor shower notifications, Offline functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Features | $0.99 | per month |
| Unlock Features | $0.99 | per month |
| Unlock Features | $3.99 | per year |
| Unlock Features | $3.99 | per year |
| Unlock Features (Lifetime) | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and understand
- ✨ Beautiful and visually appealing interface
- 🔭 AR feature for real-time sky viewing
- 🛰️ Useful for tracking satellites (ISS, Starlink)
- 💡 Informative with links to Wikipedia

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Many features are paid/locked
- 💸 Increased monetization and paid features
- 📉 Some users feel it was better before monetization
- 🤔 Unclear how to use certain features
- 📱 Inconsistent performance across devices/OS versions

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch after updates
- Date/time setting resets to 1970
- Black screen upon opening the app
- Ads not disappearing even after purchase
- App closes when selecting specific objects (e.g., Comet Neowise)

**Requested features**

- Reflect weather and light pollution in star visibility
- Include stories/episodes related to constellations
- Separate 1st to 3rd magnitude stars in display options
- Simplify solar system display for beginners
- Option to hide background stars or make them less prominent


## Frequently asked questions

### Is xSky free?

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

### Is Starry Map free?

Starry Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, xSky or Starry Map?

Starry Map is rated higher. xSky averages 4.2 out of 5 from 75 ratings, while Starry Map averages 4.5 from 246 ratings.

### Do xSky or Starry Map have ads?

Starry Map shows ads; xSky does not.

### Which is updated more often, xSky or Starry Map?

xSky ships an update every 3 months, and Starry Map every 2 weeks. Most recently, xSky was updated on September 26, 2026 and Starry Map on October 13, 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.*