PhotoPills vs SkySafari:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, PhotoPills had more branded searches than SkySafari among star gazing apps worldwide. PhotoPills had about 9,900 branded searches, while SkySafari had 8,100. PhotoPills made up 2% of all star gazing app searches we track, and SkySafari accounted for 1.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about star gazing apps, SkySafari appeared in four of the five answers and PhotoPills in two. SkySafari was mentioned before PhotoPills in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
PhotoPills, about 22% more searches than SkySafari
Who does AI mention more?
SkySafari, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, PhotoPills in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
SkySafari, named ahead of PhotoPills in 4 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, SkySafari was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both 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. SkySafari was listed before PhotoPills in every answer 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 PhotoPills or SkySafari more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for PhotoPills and SkySafari 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 PhotoPills, SkySafari. 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 PhotoPills and SkySafari comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- PhotoPills was ahead of SkySafari in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, SkySafari’s share of searches among star gazing apps worldwide moved from 1.8% to 1.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.9K to 8.1K.
How did search popularity change for star gazing apps worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, PhotoPills lost share of searches among star gazing apps worldwide, from 3.7% to 2%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for SkySafari worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 9.9K to 8.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using PhotoPills’ and SkySafari’s 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.
PhotoPills
1 branded search term
- photopills
SkySafari
1 branded search term
- skysafari
Other head-to-heads among star gazing apps
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