Education · head to head
Sky Guide vs SkySafari
Sky Guide
Education
iOS astronomy app that moved from a one-time purchase to a free-to-download, subscription-tiered model
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
SkySafari
Education
Astronomy app sold in three tiered editions, from a cheap star chart to telescope control
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Sky Guide has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Sky Guide it is iOS-only, unlike SkySafari which also covers Android and desktop.; SkySafari the three tiers are separate purchases, so upgrading from Basic to Plus or Pro later means buying again rather than paying the price difference.
- They diverge on capability: Sky Guide covers Light pollution forecasting, SkySafari covers Tiered editions.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Sky Guide and SkySafari actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Sky Guide
- Light pollution forecasting
- Meteor shower prediction
- Camera and gyroscope sky view
- Deep-sky object catalogue
- Extreme zoom
- Satellite tracking
Only in SkySafari
- Tiered editions
- Telescope control
- Large object catalogue
- Event finder
- Observing log
- Time control
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Sky Guide
- An iOS stargazer who wants light pollution forecasting to plan a dark-sky observing tripnot SkySafari
- Someone tracking meteor showers and wanting a forecast of viewing conditionsnot SkySafari
- A user who wants extreme zoom into deep-sky objects without owning a telescopenot SkySafari
- A buyer comparing subscription astronomy apps on iOS specifically, rather than cross-platform toolsnot SkySafari
SkySafari
- An amateur astronomer with a motorised telescope mount who needs live control from a phone or tabletnot Sky Guide
- A serious hobbyist who wants a deep-sky catalogue far larger than a casual sky map app providesnot Sky Guide
- Someone planning an observing session who wants an event finder for conjunctions and eclipsesnot Sky Guide
- A buyer choosing Basic first as a cheap star chart with no intention of telescope controlnot Sky Guide
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
SkySafari
- The three tiers are separate purchases, so upgrading from Basic to Plus or Pro later means buying again rather than paying the price difference.
- Even the Basic tier costs more than a comparable free or freemium app like Star Walk 2 for a casual user.
- Telescope control only works with compatible motorised mounts, so it is useless to someone with a manual telescope or no telescope at all.
- Pricing fluctuates with frequent promotional sales, so the list price is not a reliable guide to what most buyers actually pay.
- The interface, particularly on the Pro tier, has a steeper learning curve than a simple AR sky map app aimed at casual users.
Pricing, plan by plan
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
SkySafari
On request- SkySafari Basic$4.99/one-time
- Core star chart
- Modest object catalogue
- No telescope control
- SkySafari Plus$14.99/one-time
- About 2.5 million stars and 32,000 deep-sky objects
- Telescope control
- Event finder and observing log
- SkySafari Pro$29.99/one-time
- Largest catalogue tier
- Telescope control
- Advanced observation planning tools
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose SkySafari if
- You need tiered editions.
- You work on iOS, Android, macOS.
- You also want telescope control.
Questions people ask
- Is Sky Guide or SkySafari better?
- Neither clearly leads. Sky Guide starts at Free and SkySafari at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Sky Guide or SkySafari?
- Sky Guide has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Sky Guide and On request for SkySafari.
- Does Sky Guide or SkySafari run on more platforms?
- Sky Guide runs on iOS. SkySafari runs on iOS, Android, macOS.
- Can I use Sky Guide for free?
- Yes. Sky Guide has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SkySafari starts at On request.
- What is Sky Guide best used for?
- Sky Guide is most often used for an ios stargazer who wants light pollution forecasting to plan a dark-sky observing trip, someone tracking meteor showers and wanting a forecast of viewing conditions, a user who wants extreme zoom into deep-sky objects without owning a telescope, a buyer comparing subscription astronomy apps on ios specifically, rather than cross-platform tools. Of those, an ios stargazer who wants light pollution forecasting to plan a dark-sky observing trip and someone tracking meteor showers and wanting a forecast of viewing conditions are not what SkySafari is typically brought in for.
- What can Sky Guide do that SkySafari cannot?
- Sky Guide covers Light pollution forecasting, Meteor shower prediction, Camera and gyroscope sky view, Deep-sky object catalogue. SkySafari covers Tiered editions, Telescope control, Large object catalogue, Event finder.
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.
SkySafari: What is the difference between Basic, Plus and Pro?
Basic is a simple star chart, Plus adds a much larger catalogue and telescope control, and Pro adds an even larger catalogue and advanced planning tools.
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.
SkySafari: Can I upgrade from Basic to Plus later?
Not as a discounted upgrade; each tier is sold as a separate one-time purchase.
Sky Guide: Does Sky Guide support telescope control?
No. For telescope control, SkySafari Plus or Pro is the better choice.
SkySafari: Does it work with any telescope?
Only telescopes with compatible motorised mounts and a supported connection method can be controlled from the app.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- Sky Guide vs Star Walk 2
- Sky Guide vs Stellarium
- Sky Guide vs Anki
- Sky Guide vs PictureThis
- Sky Guide vs Simply Piano
- Sky Guide vs Yousician
- Sky Guide vs Elevate
- Sky Guide vs Lumosity
- Sky Guide vs Photomath
- Sky Guide vs Merlin Bird ID
- Sky Guide vs Flowkey
- Sky Guide vs Busuu
- Sky Guide vs ClassLink
- Sky Guide vs Gaggle
- Sky Guide vs Gimkit
- Sky Guide vs Jackrabbit Class
- Sky Guide vs eBird
- Sky Guide vs Hapara
- Sky Guide vs Memrise
- Sky Guide vs Clever
- Sky Guide vs Securly
- Sky Guide vs Infinite Campus
- Sky Guide vs Bark for Schools
- Sky Guide vs Lightspeed Systems
- Sky Guide vs Open edX
- Sky Guide vs Quizizz
- Sky Guide vs Rosetta Stone
- SkySafari vs Star Walk 2
- SkySafari vs Stellarium
- SkySafari vs Anki
- SkySafari vs PictureThis
- SkySafari vs Simply Piano
- SkySafari vs Yousician
- SkySafari vs Elevate
- SkySafari vs Lumosity
- SkySafari vs Photomath
- SkySafari vs Merlin Bird ID
- SkySafari vs Flowkey
- SkySafari vs Busuu
- SkySafari vs ClassLink
- SkySafari vs Gaggle
- SkySafari vs Gimkit
- SkySafari vs Jackrabbit Class
- SkySafari vs eBird
- SkySafari vs Hapara
- SkySafari vs Memrise
- SkySafari vs Clever
- SkySafari vs Securly
- SkySafari vs Infinite Campus
- SkySafari vs Bark for Schools
- SkySafari vs Lightspeed Systems
- SkySafari vs Open edX
- SkySafari vs Quizizz
- SkySafari vs Rosetta Stone