SunCast vs Sun Surveyor: 3D shadow planner or sun-and-moon toolkit?
SunCast is built for the moment when sun data has to become a real lighting decision. It shows building and terrain shadows in 3D, brings planned structures and cloud conditions into view, and keeps the workflow visual and direct. Sun Surveyor takes a broader celestial approach with Moon and Milky Way planning, Position Search, detailed ephemeris, and technical map tools.
By Peter Szucs Last reviewed: August 5, 2026
Quick verdict
For understanding sunlight and shade at a real location, SunCast is the stronger choice. It combines scene-wide 3D building and terrain shadows, planned-structure simulation, Street View, hourly cloud cover, and native solar alarms in one direct workflow. Both apps cover AR sun paths, maps, Street View, and key light times; Sun Surveyor makes more sense when Moon and Milky Way compositions, Position Search, technical ephemeris, KML/KMZ, or Android matter more.
This comparison uses full feature sets and intentionally avoids pricing differences.
SunCast is strongest for
- Seeing building and terrain shadows across a real 3D scene
- Testing how planned structures will change nearby light
- Weather-aware sunlight planning with native solar alarms
Sun Surveyor may still fit for
- Sun, Moon, and Milky Way compositions with Position Search
- Technical ephemeris, elevation, angle, and KML/KMZ workflows
- Android users and photographers who want broader celestial planning
Side-by-side feature comparison
| Feature | SunCast | Sun Surveyor | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| AR sun path | Yes | Sun, Moon + Milky Way | Helps you visualize the sun's trajectory and lighting conditions before they occur. |
| Interactive map planning | 3D shadow map | Map + time machine | Lets you plan sunlight at any location before arriving. |
| 3D building and terrain shadows | Yes | Height-based shadow line | Reveals whether buildings or terrain will block the light you need. |
| Custom construction shadow simulation | Adjustable 3D structures | No | Shows how proposed buildings could change surrounding light before they appear on the map. |
| Building solar information | Yes | No | Provides building-level solar potential, panel capacity, annual sunshine, and estimated energy output. |
| Street-view remote scouting | Sun path in Street View | Paths + shadow indicator | Lets you inspect a distant location's sun path without being there. |
| Cloud and weather context | Hourly cloud cover | No | Shows whether cloud cover may hide the light or shadows you planned for. |
| Solar event alarms | Native solar alarms | Calendar reminders | Turns a chosen solar event into a reminder or wake-up alarm. |
Why SunCast?
It shows the shadowed scene, not only a shadow line
Sun Surveyor can calculate a shadow from an entered object height. SunCast renders the shadows from surrounding buildings and terrain together across a 3D map.
It can test what is not there yet
Construction Mode lets you place and adjust planned structures, then see how their shadows interact with the existing location through the day.
The lighting workflow stays visual and direct
SunCast keeps the location, time, surrounding shadows, planned structures, Street View, cloud cover, and alarms in one coherent planning flow, so complex lighting questions remain easy to explore.
Detailed comparison
How each app represents shadows
SunCast. SunCast renders building and terrain shadows together as you move through the day, so you can inspect the pattern of light around a facade, garden, street, campsite, or shooting position. Construction Mode adds adjustable 3D blocks to the same map, making it possible to test future shadow impact alongside existing surroundings.
Sun Surveyor. Sun Surveyor plots a shadow line from an entered object height. Its current Live and Street View modules also include a shadow point and indicator line. The map can measure distance, elevation difference, and vertical angles between observer and target. These are useful technical checks, but they are different from rendering scene-wide building and terrain shadows.
Remote scouting and composition
SunCast. SunCast combines its 3D shadow map with a Street View sun path, helping you move from a broad view of the surrounding shade to a ground-level look before arriving. Hourly cloud data helps distinguish an astronomically promising light window from one the forecast may not support.
Sun Surveyor. Sun Surveyor can search for dates and times when the Sun, Moon, or Milky Way center meets chosen positional constraints, which is valuable for exact celestial compositions. Street View, the 3D compass, KML/KMZ import and export, saved locations, map measurements, and offline coordinate workflows give Sun Surveyor considerable scouting range.
Scope and follow-through
SunCast. SunCast keeps its map, shadows, building solar information, construction tools, weather, and alarms centered on the practical lighting decision at a real place. Native Solar Alarms can be set for sunrise, sunset, golden hour, blue hour, and other solar events, including time-critical wake-ups.
Sun Surveyor. Sun Surveyor adds Moon phases and distance, Milky Way planning, star trails, Photo Opportunities, seasonal light paths, detailed ephemeris, and configurable widgets. Android availability is a clear advantage for mixed-device users. On iOS, Sun Surveyor can also create calendar events with reminders from planning results and photo opportunities.
Bottom line
When the job is understanding sunlight at a real location, SunCast is the stronger tool. Its 3D shadows, construction modeling, Street View, cloud context, and native alarms turn sun data into a clear view of what the light will actually do, with each step kept close at hand in a focused iPhone and iPad experience. Sun Surveyor makes more sense when Moon and Milky Way planning, Position Search, technical ephemeris, KML/KMZ, or Android support matter more than deeper sunlight and shadow planning.
Try SunCast
SunCast combines AR sun path, 3D shadows, street-view scouting, cloud cover, Construction Mode, and Solar Alarm for iPhone and iPad sunlight planning.
Frequently asked questions
Does Sun Surveyor show 3D shadows?
Sun Surveyor's 3D map does not render scene-wide building and terrain shadows. Its shadow tools use an entered object height to draw a calculated shadow line, with a separate shadow point and indicator in Live and Street View. SunCast renders the surrounding shadows directly across the 3D scene and can add planned structures to it.
Do SunCast and Sun Surveyor both have Street View?
Yes. Both apps support remote scouting in Street View. Sun Surveyor combines its panoramas with Sun and Moon planning plus a shadow point and indicator. SunCast connects Street View sun paths to a wider lighting workflow with scene-wide 3D shadows, construction simulation, and hourly cloud cover.
Which app is better for photographers?
Sun Surveyor is stronger when the shoot centers on Moon or Milky Way positioning, Position Search, star trails, or technical ephemeris work. When the job is understanding how sunlight, local shade, surrounding structures, terrain, and cloud cover will affect the location, SunCast is the stronger planning tool.
