Education · head to head
Flip vs Sky Guide
Sky Guide
Education
iOS astronomy app that moved from a one-time purchase to a free-to-download, subscription-tiered model
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Flip the Internet Archive's capture of Flip's homepage on 28 June 2022 stated 'Flip is a free video discussion app', confirming the Microsoft-owned product (rebranded from Flipgrid) carries no subscription fee.; Sky Guide it is iOS-only, unlike SkySafari which also covers Android and desktop.
- They diverge on capability: Flip covers Video responses, Sky Guide covers Light pollution forecasting.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Flip and Sky Guide actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Education).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Flip
- Video responses
- Topics
- Camera effects
- Stickers
- Text responses
- Moderation
- Mixtapes
- AR camera
Only in Sky Guide
- Light pollution forecasting
- Meteor shower prediction
- Camera and gyroscope sky view
- Deep-sky object catalogue
- Extreme zoom
- Satellite tracking
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Flip
- Video discussionsnot Sky Guide
- Student portfoliosnot Sky Guide
- Book talksnot Sky Guide
- Language practicenot Sky Guide
Sky Guide
- An iOS stargazer who wants light pollution forecasting to plan a dark-sky observing tripnot Flip
- Someone tracking meteor showers and wanting a forecast of viewing conditionsnot Flip
- A user who wants extreme zoom into deep-sky objects without owning a telescopenot Flip
- A buyer comparing subscription astronomy apps on iOS specifically, rather than cross-platform toolsnot Flip
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Flip
- The Internet Archive's capture of Flip's homepage on 28 June 2022 stated 'Flip is a free video discussion app', confirming the Microsoft-owned product (rebranded from Flipgrid) carries no subscription fee.
Sky Guide
- It is iOS-only, unlike SkySafari which also covers Android and desktop.
- It has moved from one-time purchase to a subscription model, and long-time users who paid once for earlier versions have criticised the change publicly.
- Pro tier pricing is high relative to Star Walk 2 for broadly similar core stargazing functionality.
- It has no telescope control, unlike SkySafari Plus and Pro, which limits it to naked-eye and camera-based observing.
- Its relationship to other apps under the same distribution platform is not clearly documented, which makes long-term support commitments harder to assess.
Pricing, plan by plan
Flip
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited groups
- Unlimited topics
- Video responses
Sky Guide
Free- Sky GuideFree
- Base sky map and object labelling
- Sky Guide Plus$19.99/year
- Larger star and satellite catalogue
- Light pollution forecasting
- Meteor shower prediction
- Sky Guide Pro$39.99/year
- Very large deep-sky object catalogue
- Exoplanet data
- Extreme zoom
Which should you pick?
Choose Flip if
- You need video responses.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want topics.
Choose Sky Guide if
- You need light pollution forecasting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS.
- You also want meteor shower prediction.
Questions people ask
- Is Flip or Sky Guide better?
- Neither clearly leads. Flip starts at Free and Sky Guide at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Flip or Sky Guide?
- Flip starts at Free and Sky Guide at Free.
- Does Flip or Sky Guide run on more platforms?
- Flip runs on Web, IOS, Android. Sky Guide runs on iOS.
- Can I use Flip for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Flip best used for?
- Flip is most often used for video discussions, student portfolios, book talks, language practice. Of those, video discussions and student portfolios are not what Sky Guide is typically brought in for.
- What can Flip do that Sky Guide cannot?
- Flip covers Video responses, Topics, Camera effects, Stickers. Sky Guide covers Light pollution forecasting, Meteor shower prediction, Camera and gyroscope sky view, Deep-sky object catalogue.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Sky Guide: Is Sky Guide free?
The base app is free to download; Plus and Pro are subscription upgrades for a larger catalogue and forecasting features.
Sky Guide: Did Sky Guide used to be a one-time purchase?
Yes, earlier versions were sold as a one-time purchase before it moved to the current free-plus-subscription model.
Sky Guide: Does Sky Guide support telescope control?
No. For telescope control, SkySafari Plus or Pro is the better choice.
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