Education · head to head
Gimkit 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
- They diverge on capability: Gimkit covers Game modes, 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 Gimkit 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 Gimkit
- Game modes
- In-game currency
- Live games
- Assignments
- Reports
- Question import
- Audio questions
- Game themes
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.
Gimkit
- Review gamesnot Sky Guide
- Formative assessmentnot Sky Guide
- Student engagementnot Sky Guide
- Test prepnot Sky Guide
Sky Guide
- An iOS stargazer who wants light pollution forecasting to plan a dark-sky observing tripnot Gimkit
- Someone tracking meteor showers and wanting a forecast of viewing conditionsnot Gimkit
- A user who wants extreme zoom into deep-sky objects without owning a telescopenot Gimkit
- A buyer comparing subscription astronomy apps on iOS specifically, rather than cross-platform toolsnot Gimkit
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Gimkit
Nothing recorded yet. See the Gimkit review.
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
Gimkit
Free- FreeFree
- 5 kits
- Basic game modes
- Pro$9.99/month
- Unlimited kits
- All game modes
- Reports
- School/District$undefined/month
- All Pro features
- Admin tools
- Rostering
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 Gimkit if
- You need game modes.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, IOS, Android.
- You also want in-game currency.
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 Gimkit or Sky Guide better?
- Neither clearly leads. Gimkit 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, Gimkit or Sky Guide?
- Gimkit starts at Free and Sky Guide at Free.
- Does Gimkit or Sky Guide run on more platforms?
- Gimkit runs on Web, IOS, Android. Sky Guide runs on iOS.
- Can I use Gimkit for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Gimkit best used for?
- Gimkit is most often used for review games, formative assessment, student engagement, test prep. Of those, review games and formative assessment are not what Sky Guide is typically brought in for.
- What can Gimkit do that Sky Guide cannot?
- Gimkit covers Game modes, In-game currency, Live games, Assignments. 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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