# ShowSky vs Pocket Planets

The clearest difference is rating: Pocket Planets at 4.6 against ShowSky's 3.8. Pocket Planets also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 48 months) and ratings volume (22 vs 5). ShowSky's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 67%). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Pocket Planets holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 22 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of ShowSky's written reviews are positive against 67% of Pocket Planets's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ShowSky ships an update every 48 months, Pocket Planets every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShowSky | Pocket Planets |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/showsky/id936737341/reviews) | **[4.6 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-planets/id1496547610/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **22** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 48 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 80 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.2** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Steven Suckow](https://appshunter.io/developer/594617821) | [Ad Lunam Kereskedelmi es Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag](https://appshunter.io/developer/1496547609) |

## What reviewers say

### ShowSky

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/showsky/id936737341)

Explore the night sky with this astronomy app. It provides detailed views of stars, constellations, and deep space objects, helping you understand their positions and identify them in real-time by pointing your device.

**Highlights:** 180-degree sky map with flat horizon, 360-degree visible sky map, Real-time sky tracking view, Detailed views of stars, constellations, and deep space objects, Planet identification

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pocket Planets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-planets/id1496547610)

Explore our solar system with detailed information on planets, moons, and astronauts. Track who is currently in space and receive notifications for new launches. Access NASA images and compare celestial body characteristics.

**Highlights:** Detailed planet and moon data, Astronaut information and missions, Real-time space occupancy, Launch notifications, NASA image gallery, Celestial body comparisons

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShowSky free?

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

### Is Pocket Planets free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ShowSky or Pocket Planets?

Pocket Planets is rated higher. ShowSky averages 3.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Pocket Planets averages 4.6 from 22 ratings.

### Do ShowSky or Pocket Planets have ads?

Pocket Planets shows ads; ShowSky does not.

### Which is updated more often, ShowSky or Pocket Planets?

ShowSky ships an update every 48 months, and Pocket Planets every 3 weeks. Most recently, ShowSky was updated on October 1, 2026 and Pocket Planets on September 8, 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.*