AfterhueAfterhue vs PhotoPills: a quick sunset call or a full photo planner
PhotoPills is a photo planning toolbox for sun, moon and Milky Way scenes, with AR views, calculators and a plans manager. Afterhue does one narrow job: it scores tonight's sunset, reminds you before golden hour and keeps the colors of each sunset you catch. PhotoPills plans a shot. Afterhue helps you decide to go.
Coming soon to iPhone
What is the main difference?
PhotoPills is aimed at photographers who plan a scene in advance. Its listing describes a map-centric planner for the sun, moon and Milky Way, AR views, a fast finder for sun and moon alignments, location scouting, calculators for exposure, time-lapse, star trails, hyperfocal distance and depth of field, and widgets. Afterhue is for anyone who wants to know if tonight's sky is worth stepping out for.
Competitor facts were checked on October 10, 2026 against the US App Store listing and describe the app as of October 2026. Afterhue is made by the publisher of this site, is in development and is not on the App Store yet, so it has no rating and no listed price.
Afterhue vs PhotoPills at a glance
| Afterhue | PhotoPills | |
|---|---|---|
| Core job | Rate tonight's sunset and keep what you catch | Plan sun, moon and Milky Way photos |
| Weather | Cloud layers, humidity, visibility and rain from Apple WeatherKit | Not described as a weather forecast in its listing |
| Key tools | Glow Score with reasons, golden-hour reminder, Hue Chips, Sky Strip | Map planner, 3D AR, alignments finder, calculators, photo plans, widgets |
| Sun and light times | Golden hour, sunset, blue hour | Sunrise and sunset, twilights, golden hour, blue hour, moon times |
| Learning curve | Open the app and read one score | A deep toolbox with courses and how-to articles |
| Devices | iPhone app | iPhone and iPad, per its listing |
| Languages | English and Russian | Nine, including English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish |
| US App Store rating | New, in development | 4.7 from about 1,500 ratings (October 2026) |
| Minimum iOS | Not announced | 15.0 |
What does PhotoPills do better?
Planning. If you want to know the exact date the sun will set between two rocks, where the Milky Way will arch over a landscape, or how long an exposure to use for star trails, that is what it was made for. The listing describes AR views for the sun, moon and Milky Way, a photo plans manager, Points of Interest for places you want to remember and a list of supported cameras. It has existed since 2013 and was updated on September 2, 2026.
Afterhue offers none of that. It has no calculators, no AR and no camera database.
What does Afterhue do better?
Deciding and remembering. A planner tells you when the sun will be where, but not whether cloud will block it. The Glow Score looks at the weather, including a second point about 150 km toward the sun, and gives up to three reasons in words. The free golden-hour reminder follows the sun through the seasons. After the evening, a Hue Chip keeps five colors, the date and place, and your rating of how it looked.
How do I choose?
Think about what you do before an evening. If you plan shots days ahead with a tripod, filters and a specific alignment in mind, you want a planner. If you glance at your phone in the afternoon and decide whether to walk out, you want a score. For a casual photographer, photographing a sunset with an iPhone needs nothing more than a steady hand and a reminder.
Who should pick which?
- Choose PhotoPills if you shoot with a camera, plan alignments, or photograph the Moon and Milky Way as well as sunsets.
- Choose Afterhue if you want a simple sunset score with reasons, a repeating reminder and a color log.
- Use both if you are serious about landscapes: plan the where with PhotoPills and check the whether with Afterhue.
Source, checked October 10, 2026: PhotoPills on the App Store.
Frequently asked questions
Is Afterhue a PhotoPills alternative?
Only for one small slice. Afterhue scores tonight's sunset and reminds you before golden hour. It has no planner, AR or calculators.
Does PhotoPills forecast sunset color?
Its listing describes planning tools for sun, moon and Milky Way, and does not describe a weather-based sunset quality forecast.
Which is easier to learn?
Afterhue shows one score with reasons on opening. PhotoPills is a large toolbox with its own learning resources.
Does Afterhue work on iPad?
No. It is an iPhone app. PhotoPills lists iPhone and iPad.
Can I use both?
Yes. PhotoPills plans where and when the sun lines up, and Afterhue estimates whether the sky is worth the trip.
Keep exploring
Hue ChipsFive colors, a name, a number and your rating from one sunset photo, made on the device.