The best astrophotography planning apps
A Milky Way shot is won before you leave the house: is the core up, is the moon out of the way, will it be clear, and is the sky dark enough? Different tools answer each — here's the honest division of labour.
Last reviewed 2026-07. We include tools that beat ours — if a competitor is the right answer, we say so. ShootSm.art is made by Future Vision Concepts.
What to look for
- Alignment (where the core will be) vs forecasting (will it be clear) vs darkness (is the sky dark enough) — three different jobs.
- AR is genuinely useful here, more than in any other genre.
- Offline matters — dark-sky sites rarely have signal.
At a glance
| Tool | Best for | Platforms | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhotoPills | Planning landscape, night and astro shoots | iOS · Android | One-time purchase |
| Clear Outside | Deciding whether tonight is worth the drive | Web · iOS · Android | Free |
| Light pollution maps | Finding a genuinely dark site | Web | Free |
| Sun Surveyor | A friendlier alternative to PhotoPills | iOS · Android | Paid (with a limited free tier) |
| ShootSm.artours | Knowing what to dial in once you're under the stars | Web · installable (PWA) | Free tier · Pro subscription |
PhotoPills
The deep planning app for sun, moon and Milky Way, with AR previews and a pile of calculators.
Strengths
- The most complete planner out there — sun/moon/Milky Way, AR night-sky, timelapse and DOF calculators in one app
- One-time price, no subscription
- Superb for scouting a spot before you drive out to it
Limitations
- Genuinely steep learning curve — it rewards study
- Mobile only, and it plans the shoot rather than telling you what to dial in
Clear Outside
Astronomy-grade cloud, seeing and transparency forecasts.
Strengths
- Layer-by-layer cloud forecasting beats any generic weather app
- Free, and the astro community trusts it
Limitations
- Forecast only — no planning, no alignment
Light pollution maps
Bortle-scale maps of sky darkness.
Strengths
- The single biggest factor in a Milky Way shot, and it's free to check
- Easy to find a darker site an hour away
Limitations
- Static reference — no forecasting or planning
Sun Surveyor
Sun, moon and Milky Way tracking with AR and a map view.
Strengths
- Much gentler learning curve than PhotoPills
- Clean AR and map views
Limitations
- Fewer calculators and less depth than PhotoPills
ShootSm.artours
Free sun/moon planning in the browser, plus night settings tuned to your camera's real high-ISO ceiling.
Strengths
- Night/astro starting settings for your specific body, including how far you can honestly push ISO
- Free sun & moon planner in any browser
- Printable cheat sheet works when you're out of signal at a dark site
Limitations
- No AR Milky Way alignment — pair it with PhotoPills for that
- Planning depth is far shallower than a dedicated planner
Common questions
What's the best app for planning a Milky Way shoot?
PhotoPills, still — the AR view showing exactly where the core will sit over your foreground is unmatched, and it's a one-time purchase. Pair it with Clear Outside for cloud forecasting and a light-pollution map for site selection.
Is there a free Milky Way planning app?
No free app matches PhotoPills for alignment. But you can get most of the way free: Clear Outside for forecasting, lightpollutionmap.info for dark skies, The Photographer's Ephemeris' free web tier for sun/moon, and ShootSm.art's free planner and night settings.
What settings should I use for the Milky Way?
As a starting point: manual mode, your widest aperture, 10–20 seconds (shorter for longer lenses, to avoid star trails), ISO 1600–6400 depending on how clean your body is, and manual focus on a bright star via magnified live view.