Night Sky vs PhotoPills:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Night Sky had more branded searches than PhotoPills among star gazing apps worldwide. Night Sky had about 170,000 branded searches, while PhotoPills had 9,900. Night Sky made up 35% of all star gazing app searches we track, and PhotoPills accounted for 2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about star gazing apps, Night Sky appeared in three of the five answers and PhotoPills in two. Night Sky and PhotoPills were each mentioned first in two of the four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Night Sky, about 17 searches for every 1 for PhotoPills
Who does AI mention more?
Night Sky, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, PhotoPills in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.
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Top star gazing apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Night Sky was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. PhotoPills was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Night Sky and PhotoPills were each listed first in two of the four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Stellarium1st
Star Walk2nd
SkySafari3rd- Sky Guide4th
- Sky Tonight5th
- Night Sky6th
- PhotoPills7th
- SkyView8th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Stellarium5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Star Walk5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sky Guide4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- SkySafari4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Night Sky3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Sky Tonight2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- PhotoPills2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- SkyView1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about star gazing apps
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which star gazing app should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best star gazing apps?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best star gazing app for the night sky?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“star gazing apps”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“star map app”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Night Sky or PhotoPills more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Night Sky and PhotoPills by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight star gazing apps we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Night Sky, PhotoPills. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Stellarium | Night Sky | Sky Guide | Star Walk | Sky Tonight | PhotoPills | SkySafari | SkyView |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 43.9% | 37.6% | 4.8% | 3.5% | 5.9% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.78% |
| Nov 2025 | 40.2% | 41.8% | 5.4% | 3.9% | 4.4% | 2% | 1.6% | 0.72% |
| Dec 2025 | 35.3% | 45.1% | 4.7% | 4.5% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 40.6% | 42.2% | 4.5% | 4% | 3.7% | 2% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 43% | 37.9% | 4.7% | 4.4% | 4.7% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 2.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 45.3% | 38.9% | 5% | 3.6% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 59% | 28% | 4.3% | 2.6% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 43.9% | 38.7% | 5.9% | 3.5% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 41.7% | 39.9% | 5.6% | 3.3% | 4.6% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 1.7% |
| Jul 2026 | 43.3% | 38.1% | 5.8% | 3.4% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 50.8% | 29.5% | 4.6% | 3.4% | 5.6% | 3.7% | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 50.6% | 35% | 4.6% | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.7% | 0.9% |
How has the Night Sky and PhotoPills comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Night Sky was ahead of PhotoPills in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Night Sky’s share of searches among star gazing apps worldwide moved from 37.6% to 35%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 211K to 170K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, PhotoPills’ share of searches among star gazing apps worldwide moved from 1.8% to 2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 9.9K.
How did search popularity change for star gazing apps worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Night Sky gained share of searches among star gazing apps worldwide, from 29.5% to 35%.
In September 2026, PhotoPills lost share of searches among star gazing apps worldwide, from 3.7% to 2%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Night Sky’s and PhotoPills’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Night Sky
2 branded search terms
- night sky
- night sky app
PhotoPills
1 branded search term
- photopills
Other head-to-heads among star gazing apps
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