PhotoPills vs Star Walk:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Star Walk had more branded searches than PhotoPills among star gazing apps worldwide. Star Walk had about 13,100 branded searches, while PhotoPills had 9,900. Star Walk made up 2.7% 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, Star Walk appeared in all five answers and PhotoPills in two. Star Walk was mentioned before PhotoPills in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Star Walk, about 32% more searches than PhotoPills
Who does AI mention more?
Star Walk, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Star Walk, named ahead of PhotoPills in every answer
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Top star gazing apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Star Walk appeared in all five answers. PhotoPills was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Star Walk was listed before PhotoPills in every answer.
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 Star Walk more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for PhotoPills and Star Walk 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 Star Walk, 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 PhotoPills and Star Walk comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: PhotoPills took it in August 2026, Star Walk took it in 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, Star Walk’s share of searches among star gazing apps worldwide moved from 3.5% to 2.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 19.7K to 13.1K.
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%.
In September 2026, Star Walk lost share of searches among star gazing apps worldwide, from 3.4% to 2.7%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using PhotoPills’ and Star Walk’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
Star Walk
2 branded search terms
- star walk
- star walk app
Other head-to-heads among star gazing apps
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