# xSky vs First Light

The clearest difference is rating: First Light at 5.0 against xSky's 4.3. First Light also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 79%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). xSky's advantage is ratings volume (80 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

First Light holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: xSky has 80 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of xSky's written reviews are positive against 100% of First Light's.

xSky ships an update every 3 months, First Light every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | xSky | First Light |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (80 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xsky/id850941042/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-light-cosmic-viewer/id6780022564/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **80** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 79.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 60 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oleg Sur](https://appshunter.io/developer/1454732575) | [Thomas Sola](https://appshunter.io/developer/6780022566) |

## 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


### First Light

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-light-cosmic-viewer/id6780022564)

Explore the universe's earliest light with real cosmic microwave background data. Pan across the oldest light in the universe, switch between satellites, and observe shifts in frequency bands. This educational app brings real science and cosmic history to your mobile device.

**Highlights:** Explore cosmic microwave background data, Immersive sky exploration via phone movement, Switch between COBE, WMAP, and Planck satellites, Adjust frequency bands to see universe shifts, Utilizes real scientific data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is xSky free?

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

### Is First Light free?

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

### Which has better reviews, xSky or First Light?

First Light is rated higher. xSky averages 4.3 out of 5 from 80 ratings, while First Light averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do xSky or First Light have ads?

Neither xSky nor First Light shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, xSky or First Light?

xSky ships an update every 3 months, and First Light every 3 weeks. Most recently, xSky was updated on November 1, 2026 and First Light on October 31, 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.*