SunreachComparisons · Updated
Sunreach vs Sun Quest: terrain shadows vs sun-on-spot times
Sun Quest (“Seeker & Tracker”) tracks the sun for any date in its LIGHT tier and adds AR, a 10-day forecast and maps with terrain and building shadows in PRO. Sunreach gives the minutes direct sun is on your spot from terrain and lidar, with a 3D view, alignment search and AR.
Sunreach is a 3D and AR sun tracker for iPhone and iPad, coming soon to the App Store. This guide describes the current app; planned upgrades are listed separately. Terrain coverage varies by location.
What is the main difference between Sunreach and Sun Quest?
Sun Quest is a low-cost tracker that shows shadows on a map, for home, garden, architecture and outdoor use. Sunreach plans light at a spot and answers with times, the data source and an estimated accuracy, plus 3D to frame the shot.
| Sunreach | Sun Quest | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free to download. Sunreach Pro at launch: €24.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, or €3.99 a month | Free (today, here); LIGHT $5.99 once (or $1.99/month, $6.99/year); PRO $1.99/month, $12.99/year or $34.99 once, 3-day trial |
| Platforms | iOS 26 or later (iPhone and iPad) | iPhone and iPad (iOS 16.4 or later), Apple silicon Mac, Apple Vision Pro |
| Sun-on-spot times with terrain | Yes. Times when direct sun is on the spot, every day of the year | No time ranges; terrain shadows on the map (PRO) |
| Trees and buildings in the skyline | Not for now: skylines use bare ground everywhere (lidar ground in supported countries, 40 m terrain elsewhere) | Building and terrain shadows on the map (PRO) |
| 3D view | 3D terrain with shadows, eye level you can walk and frame with any lens from 16 to 400 mm, a 3D city view with buildings and their shadows, and a drone camera with height and hyperlapse controls | Not in the listing |
| Augmented reality | AR sun path where you stand; it lines itself up on the sun, and on the skyline when you tap to look for it. Alignment is still undergoing real-device validation | AR sun path (PRO) |
| Weather | Apple Weather forecast, peak light after sunset (which peaks stay lit and for how long, with a go or don’t-go from the clouds) and a valley-fog outlook with the summits above it | 10-day forecast (PRO) |
| Polariser guide | Yes: where a polariser darkens the sky most for any minute, how much of the effect the forecast cloud leaves, the band in AR and 3D, wide-lens and water-glare notes | Not in the feature list |
| Moon and Milky Way | Moon path, phase calendar, terrain-aware moonrise/set, dark-sky and galactic-core windows in the plan; Moon and Milky Way overlays in 3D and AR. Moon on any date, Milky Way and eclipses are Sunreach Pro | Moon path and details |
Competitor details checked on 28 October 2026 from Sun Quest's US App Store listing and help pages (linked below). Prices change; check the store in your region.
Which one shows when the sun reaches a spot behind mountains?
Sunreach gives the time range for every day, from 2 m lidar where available. Sun Quest shows terrain shadows on its map in PRO, which you scrub through the day.
A map of shadows shows which side of a valley is lit; a time range tells you when to arrive. Golden hour in the mountains shows why both matter for photography.
Sunreach computes this for any spot on Earth, from the real terrain around it. Get the app ↓
Where is Sun Quest better?
Price and home use. Its PRO tier costs less than most rivals, includes a lifetime option, building shadows and a solar production estimate for roofs.
Where is Sunreach better?
Accuracy and planning tools. Lidar terrain in many countries, sun-on-spot and golden-on-spot times, 3D with eye level, lenses, a drone camera and a city view, alignment search, peak light and fog outlooks.
Sunreach also forecasts the aurora for your own spot: NOAA’s live oval on a night globe, the Kp the place needs over its skyline toward the pole (the red glow of big storms counted), the best hour of the night from the oval’s turn toward magnetic midnight, where to drive tonight, aurora alerts and a widget. See what Kp you need to see the aurora.
Which should you choose?
For a cheap tracker with shadows on a map, Sun Quest. For photography and trips where the minute matters, Sunreach.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sun Quest the same as SunCast?
No. They are different apps from different developers. See also Sunreach vs SunCast.
Sources
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