# Astro Locator vs QUARCS

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Astro Locator at 77% against QUARCS's 0%. Astro Locator also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (68 vs 1). QUARCS's advantage is price (Free vs $3.99) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

QUARCS is free to download; Astro Locator costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Astro Locator holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Astro Locator has 68 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Astro Locator's written reviews are positive against 0% of QUARCS's.

Astro Locator ships an update every 3 months, QUARCS every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Astro Locator | QUARCS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astro-locator/id927483920/reviews)** | [3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quarcs/id6479396546/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **68** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **77.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 6 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Progress Concepts Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/788761727) | [Light Speed Vision(Beijing) Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1511662353) |

## What reviewers say

### Astro Locator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astro-locator/id927483920)

This app assists astronomers in quickly and easily achieving polar alignment for their telescopes. It helps locate key stars like Polaris or Sigma Octantis, displaying essential astronomical data for setup and viewing. Ideal for mobile astronomers who frequently set up and pack down their equipment.

**Highlights:** Quick polar alignment, Locate Polaris/Sigma Octantis, Display elevation, latitude, longitude, Show moon phase, Sunrise/sunset times, Astro twilight times, Today Extension widget

**In-app purchases:** none


### QUARCS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quarcs/id6479396546)

This open-source software kit enables remote astrophotography capture via Wi-Fi and computer. It offers comprehensive control over telescope mounts, cameras, autoguiding, and electric focusers, integrating with Stellarium for sky mapping.

**Highlights:** Remote capture via Wi-Fi, Computer remote capture via LAN, Mount control, Camera control, Autoguiding, Electric focuser control, Stellarium skymap integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Astro Locator free?

Astro Locator costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is QUARCS free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Astro Locator or QUARCS?

Astro Locator is rated higher. Astro Locator averages 4.8 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while QUARCS averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Astro Locator or QUARCS have ads?

Neither Astro Locator nor QUARCS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Astro Locator or QUARCS?

Astro Locator ships an update every 3 months, and QUARCS every 6 months. Most recently, Astro Locator was updated on November 1, 2026 and QUARCS on October 6, 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.*