# Celestron SkyPortal vs MeteorActive

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MeteorActive at 89% against Celestron SkyPortal's 32%. MeteorActive also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.6) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). 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.

MeteorActive holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MeteorActive has 2.4K ratings behind it against 354, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of Celestron SkyPortal's written reviews are positive against 89% of MeteorActive's.

Celestron SkyPortal ships an update every 3 months, MeteorActive every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestron SkyPortal | MeteorActive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (354 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestron-skyportal/id877780544/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meteoractive/id1205712190/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 354 | **2.4K** |
| Positive reviews | 31.9% of reviews | **88.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 709 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Celestron, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/445142854) | [Alexander Vasenin](https://appshunter.io/developer/665864046) |

## What reviewers say

### Celestron SkyPortal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestron-skyportal/id877780544)

Explore the cosmos with a comprehensive astronomy suite. Discover stars, planets, and celestial events, and enhance your stargazing with detailed information and audio narration. Connect to compatible telescopes for automatic object location.

**Highlights:** Explore 120,000 stars and celestial objects, Simulate night sky past/future, Real-time sky synchronization, Control compatible WiFi telescopes, Animate celestial events, Audio narration and object descriptions, Night Vision mode

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app
- 🚀 Transforms stargazing
- 💡 Wonderful features
- 👍 Convenient control
- 👍 Incredible for free

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Alignment issues
- 🐛 Connectivity problems
- 🐛 Laggy controls
- 🐛 Inaccurate compass
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes

**Reported bugs**

- Fails to align telescope
- Telescope points in wrong direction
- Disconnects frequently
- Doesn't show deep sky objects
- Crashes on startup

**Requested features**

- Add red night mode
- Improve focus motor control
- Integrate weather data
- Provide RA/DEC coordinates
- Add more celestial objects


### MeteorActive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meteoractive/id1205712190)

Get accurate meteor shower forecasts based on your location, moon phase, and light pollution. Discover major events, upcoming nights, and hourly estimates for the best viewing opportunities.

**Highlights:** Major events calendar, Upcoming nights predictions, Hour-by-hour estimates, Meteor showers reference, Location-based accuracy, Moon interference calculation, Light pollution consideration

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Amazing app with great features
- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 🔭 Detailed and accurate information on meteor showers
- 💫 Stunning visualizations and animations
- 🆓 Free and ad-free app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🕰️ Missing notifications for upcoming events
- 🗺️ Lacking location-based features
- 🔍 Could use more detailed instructions and explanations

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to access certain features
- Charts and visualizations not updating correctly
- Inconsistent performance on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add notification system for meteor showers
- Integrate with calendar app for easy scheduling
- Provide more location-specific data and recommendations
- Expand coverage to include more minor meteor showers


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Celestron SkyPortal free?

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

### Is MeteorActive free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Celestron SkyPortal or MeteorActive?

MeteorActive is rated higher. Celestron SkyPortal averages 3.6 out of 5 from 354 ratings, while MeteorActive averages 4.8 from 2.4K ratings.

### Do Celestron SkyPortal or MeteorActive have ads?

Neither Celestron SkyPortal nor MeteorActive shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Celestron SkyPortal or MeteorActive?

Celestron SkyPortal ships an update every 3 months, and MeteorActive every 6 weeks. Most recently, Celestron SkyPortal was updated on November 1, 2026 and MeteorActive on November 2, 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.*