Night Sky vs Sky Guide
Both are good free iPhone star maps with paid tiers. Night Sky is on more Apple devices (Apple TV and iMessage too) and adds Aura, an AI astronomer you can ask questions, on a subscription. Sky Guide is the calmer, more focused one, and it works fully offline. Neither is on Android. Everdust's Night Sky is a different thing with the same name: not a star map, but a sky whose nebulae and galaxies you fly inside, on iPhone, iPad and Android and Apple Vision Pro.
- Pick Night Sky for guided tours, an AI guide you can talk to and SharePlay stargazing (with its subscriptions), and for Apple TV.
- Pick Sky Guide for a clean star map that works with no signal, and Space Station alerts.
- Pick Everdust for flying into the wonders, not for finding them.
Side by side
| Feature | Night Sky | Sky Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | iCandi Apps[1] | Fifth Star Labs[2] |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro, Apple TV, Apple Watch, iMessage. No Android[1][3] | iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch, Apple silicon Macs. No Android[2][4] |
| Price | Free; Night Sky+ ($5.99 to $49.99) and Night Sky+ Aura ($9.99 to $69.99) subscriptions[1][3] | Free; Plus ($4.99 or $39.99), Pro ($8.99 or $59.99), Pro Lifetime $249.99[2] |
| Identify by pointing | Yes, plus AR object views[1] | Yes, with an AR mode over the real sky[2] |
| AI and tours | Aura, an AI astronomer (Night Sky+ Aura); live and custom sky tours (Night Sky+)[1][3] | Not on its listing[2] |
| Offline | Keeps forecasts and content you've already loaded when the connection drops (version 27.2); full offline use isn't stated[1] | Works without Wi-Fi, cell service or GPS[2] |
| Sharing | Sky Tags shared over iMessage; stargazing together over SharePlay (Night Sky+)[1] | Family Sharing[2] |
| Events | Night Sky Tonight: conditions, rise times and events (Night Sky+)[3] | A calendar of eclipses and other events for your location; ISS alerts[2] |
Each app as its own store listing or website describes it, checked November 7, 2026; US prices. Numbers in brackets are the sources below.
Where Night Sky is the better pick
- More devices, Apple TV included.
- An assistant you can ask, if you want one.
Where Sky Guide is the better pick
- Works anywhere, with no signal at all.
Where Everdust fits
I make Everdust, so read this with that in mind. The names collide: Everdust's Night Sky is a feature inside Everdust, not iCandi Apps' Night Sky app, and it doesn't replace either star map.
Everdust's Night Sky on Apple Vision Pro puts the real sky for your place and time around you: look at a planet and pinch to fly there, or at one of its 29 wonders, a nebula, a galaxy or a star cluster, and fly inside it. The Everdust Atlas has a page for each.
Everdust's Night Sky is on iPhone and iPad too, since Everdust 1.1: hold your phone up to the real sky and tap a wonder to fly inside it. It shows constellations, planets and the wonders, but it isn't a full star map like these two.
Everdust is free on Apple Vision Pro, Apple TV, Android phones and tablets, iPhone, iPad and Meta Quest. On Mac, it’s a free download; the Mac App Store version is in review.
Everdust on the App Store for Apple Vision ProGet it on Google PlayEverdust on the App Store for iPhoneEverdust on the App Store for iPadEverdust on the App Store for Meta Quest
Questions people ask
Is Night Sky or Sky Guide better? Night Sky has more features and devices, including an AI guide on a subscription; Sky Guide is simpler and works fully offline. Both are free to download.
Is Night Sky free? Yes to download. Night Sky+ and Night Sky+ Aura are optional subscriptions; Aura, the AI astronomer, needs Night Sky+ Aura.
Does Sky Guide work offline? Yes. Its listing says it works with or without Wi-Fi, cell service or GPS.
Is Everdust's Night Sky the same as the Night Sky app? No. Night Sky by iCandi Apps is a star map. Night Sky in Everdust (made by me) is a feature of the Everdust app where you fly inside nebulae and galaxies.
Sources
- Night Sky on the App Store
- Sky Guide on the App Store
- iCandi Apps (Night Sky's site)
- Fifth Star Labs (Sky Guide's site)
Checked November 7, 2026. Prices and features change; the store listing is always the final word. I make Everdust, and I’ve tried to describe the other apps as fairly as their makers do. Everdust is also listed on AlternativeTo as an alternative to Sky Guide.