The best sunset forecast or sunset predictor app depends on the question you need answered: whether colorful skies look promising, when sunrise or sunset happens, or where the Sun will sit in your composition. SkyCandy brings sunrise and sunset quality forecasts, daylight phases and Sun direction planning together. Alpenglow, SunsetWx and PhotoPills offer useful alternatives or companions for different workflows.
Publisher disclosure: Dunbar Technology develops SkyCandy. This guide compares published features and use cases; it is not an independent accuracy test.
Compare the apps
SkyCandy
SkyCandy combines sunrise and sunset quality forecasts with sun-position planning, daylight phases and tools for keeping your photography plans close at hand.
Strengths
- Sunrise and sunset quality forecasts up to three days with Premium
- Sun-position and direction planning
- Daylight Phase Planning, including golden hour and blue hour
- Widgets for quick forecast checks
- Community gallery and helpful photography tips
- Save your favorite photo spots
- Forecast alerts and notification options
Limitations and access
Quality predictions are estimates but tend to be accurate most of the time. Some saved-location, advanced forecast and notification options require a modest and affordable Premium subscription, available monthly or yearly with additional savings on yearly plans.
Explore SkyCandy on Google Play or SkyCandy on the App Store. See all SkyCandy features.
Alpenglow: an alternative for forecast maps and wider device workflows
Alpenglow’s official feature page describes sunrise and sunset quality predictions, golden and blue hour times, and support across Android and multiple Apple devices. Its Pro features include forecast maps, forecast notifications and widgets. If comparing nearby forecast areas on a map or checking information on several devices matters to you, those are concrete reasons to investigate it.
Tradeoffs: Confirm the features included in the edition and platform you will use. The developer currently identifies sun alignment as unavailable on Android, for example. Forecast maps and alerts should not be assumed to be included in every access level. We have not tested Alpenglow against SkyCandy or verified a relative accuracy advantage.
SunsetWx: a web forecasting resource
SunsetWx’s browser viewer offers sunrise and sunset forecast graphics for the United States and other regions. It belongs in this comparison as a web tool, rather than as another mobile app. A map view can be useful when you want regional context before choosing a destination.
Tradeoffs: Read the graphic’s timing rather than assuming it describes the next event at your location. SunsetWx’s official interpretation guide explains the valid time, forecast hour and model initialization labels. It takes a different workflow from a phone app’s saved-location view; decide whether reading graphics fits the way you plan outings.
PhotoPills: choose it for alignment and composition planning
PhotoPills combines Sun and Moon alignment planning with depth-of-field and hyperfocal-distance calculators. These focus tools help plan lens settings and the range of distances that will appear acceptably sharp. Both SkyCandy and PhotoPills offer sun-position planning; the focus calculators are a separate reason to explore PhotoPills.
Strength: Detailed focus and composition planning tools.
Tradeoff: Alignment and focus tools complement rather than replace a sunset quality or weather forecast.
See the PhotoPills planning guide and its calculator documentation.
Compare the job each tool does
| Tool | Useful for | Important tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| SkyCandy | Sunrise and sunset quality, daylight phases and Sun direction in one app. | Multiple saved locations and quality alerts are Premium features. |
| Alpenglow | Quality predictions with options including forecast maps and widgets. | Several expanded features require Pro; availability can differ by platform. |
| SunsetWx | Browser-based sunrise and sunset forecast graphics. | Interpreting a forecast map takes more attention than checking a location score. |
| PhotoPills | Sun position, twilight timing and detailed photographic composition planning. | The planning features discussed here do not answer whether clouds will produce colorful skies. |
Choose a workflow you will actually use
For a nearby evening walk or a flexible landscape session, start with SkyCandy’s quality and daylight information, then check the actual horizon and local weather. For a fixed architectural alignment, use a detailed composition planner as well. If regional maps or a particular device experience are your priority, investigate Alpenglow or the SunsetWx viewer before choosing.
Keep a backup composition and judge a forecast over multiple outings instead of one unusually colorful or gray evening. Our guides to predicting a beautiful sunset and golden hour versus blue hour explain the planning questions behind the tools. When SkyCandy’s combined workflow matches your needs, explore its real screenshots and download it for your phone.
Questions about sunset forecasts and sunrise predictions
Is a sunset forecast the same as a sunset time calculator?
A sunset time tells you when the Sun crosses the horizon for a selected place and date. A sunset quality forecast estimates whether weather conditions look promising for a colorful sky. If your goal is sunset photography, both questions matter: a precise time alone does not predict the cloud arrangement.
Can I use a sunset predictor for sunrise photography?
Check that the selected tool provides information for the morning event, then read its sunrise forecast and daylight times for your location. SkyCandy’s published features cover both sunrise and sunset planning. Use our sunrise session checklist to turn the information into an arrival plan.
Should I trust a high sunset quality score tonight?
Treat it as a planning signal. Recheck local weather and the view toward the horizon, and keep a backup composition. Our guide to sunset forecast uncertainty explains why a promising prediction can still miss the final sky.