Education · head to head
Sky Guide vs Star Walk 2
Sky Guide
Education
iOS astronomy app that moved from a one-time purchase to a free-to-download, subscription-tiered model
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Star Walk 2
Education
Freemium stargazing app with a low-cost ad-free upgrade, aimed at casual sky watchers
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Sky Guide it is iOS-only, unlike SkySafari which also covers Android and desktop.; Star Walk 2 its object catalogue is far smaller than SkySafari Pro, so it has little to offer once someone wants to go beyond naked-eye stargazing.
- They diverge on capability: Sky Guide covers Light pollution forecasting, Star Walk 2 covers Augmented reality sky view.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Sky Guide and Star Walk 2 actually diverge.
| Attribute | Sky Guide | Star Walk 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free download with Plus and Pro subscription upgrades | Freemium, low-cost ad-free subscription upgrade |
| Platforms | iOS | iOS, Android, macOS, Windows |
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 Sky Guide
- Light pollution forecasting
- Meteor shower prediction
- Camera and gyroscope sky view
- Deep-sky object catalogue
- Extreme zoom
Only in Star Walk 2
- Augmented reality sky view
- Time travel mode
- Night mode
- Meteor shower and event alerts
- Ad-free Plus tier
Both cover
- Satellite tracking
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 Star Walk 2
- Someone tracking meteor showers and wanting a forecast of viewing conditionsnot Star Walk 2
- A user who wants extreme zoom into deep-sky objects without owning a telescopenot Star Walk 2
- A buyer comparing subscription astronomy apps on iOS specifically, rather than cross-platform toolsnot Star Walk 2
Star Walk 2
- A parent wanting a cheap, simple app to show a child the night skynot Sky Guide
- A traveller who wants to identify stars and planets without a big subscription commitmentnot Sky Guide
- A casual stargazer who does not need telescope control or a deep-sky cataloguenot Sky Guide
- Someone wanting satellite pass tracking including the ISS on a budgetnot 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.
Star Walk 2
- Its object catalogue is far smaller than SkySafari Pro, so it has little to offer once someone wants to go beyond naked-eye stargazing.
- It has no telescope control, unlike SkySafari Plus and Pro, so it cannot drive a motorised mount.
- The free tier carries ads, which some users find intrusive during a stargazing session.
- It shares a visual style with many similar AR sky map apps, so its differentiation beyond price is limited.
- Content depth for deep-sky objects and satellite catalogues lags noticeably behind Sky Guide Pro and SkySafari Pro.
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
Star Walk 2
Free- Star Walk 2Free
- Core sky map and AR view
- Ad-supported
- Star Walk 2 Plus$5.99/year
- Ads removed
- Additional sky content
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 Star Walk 2 if
- You need augmented reality sky view.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
- You also want time travel mode.
Questions people ask
- Is Sky Guide or Star Walk 2 better?
- Neither clearly leads. Sky Guide starts at Free and Star Walk 2 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Sky Guide or Star Walk 2?
- Sky Guide starts at Free and Star Walk 2 at Free.
- Does Sky Guide or Star Walk 2 run on more platforms?
- Sky Guide runs on iOS. Star Walk 2 runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
- Can I use Sky Guide for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Star Walk 2 is typically brought in for.
- What can Sky Guide do that Star Walk 2 cannot?
- Sky Guide covers Light pollution forecasting, Meteor shower prediction, Camera and gyroscope sky view, Deep-sky object catalogue. Star Walk 2 covers Augmented reality sky view, Time travel mode, Night mode, Meteor shower and event alerts. Both handle Satellite tracking.
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.
Star Walk 2: Is Star Walk 2 free?
A free ad-supported version exists; Star Walk 2 Plus removes ads and adds content for a low annual or monthly fee.
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.
Star Walk 2: Does it support telescope control?
No. For telescope control, SkySafari Plus or Pro is the better choice.
Sky Guide: Does Sky Guide support telescope control?
No. For telescope control, SkySafari Plus or Pro is the better choice.
Star Walk 2: How does it compare to SkySafari on price?
It is substantially cheaper, but with a much smaller star and deep-sky object catalogue.
Related pages
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