Apps Like Co-Star: The Best Co-Star Alternatives Compared

Which apps are most like Co-Star?

Since you are here, you already know what you love about the app on your phone and what has started to wear thin. That is a good place to choose from, and this guide is for exactly that choice.

Co-Star built its following on short, direct daily notes, friend comparisons and a striking design. Its listing describes "biting truth" and says its text comes from real human astrologers who collaborate with AI technology. If that voice still suits you, you may only want a second app beside it. If it no longer does, the apps below change one thing each: the voice, the depth, the cost or how much control you get.

One honest note on method. This is a comparison of what each app publishes about itself, on its own website and its US App Store listing, not a hands-on test. Prices sit in the boxes and the table, with the month they were read and a link to the page they came from. Android prices can differ.

There is a simple way to read this list. Each app gets a short section on who it suits, who it may not suit and what it actually gives you. Then a side-by-side table, then a few questions that make the choice quick.

If you are mainly choosing between the three biggest names, Co-Star vs The Pattern vs CHANI goes head to head on those. This page stays with one question: you have used Co-Star, so what is the next app to try?

CHANI: for a calm daily practice written by astrologers

CHANI suits you if Co-Star's one-line notes feel too sharp and you want something warmer and longer. Its App Store listing calls it the number one astrology app made by real astrologers, not AI, and it pairs astrology with mindfulness: a daily horoscope, a guided meditation chosen for the day's sky and readings that update as the Moon moves.

The weekly layer is what many people stay for. There is an Astrology of the Week Ahead podcast, a personal weekly reading, and rituals, tarot cards and journal prompts for New Moons, Full Moons, retrogrades and eclipses. Your birth chart is there too, with insights on each planet and point, plus transit readings for what the planets are doing to your chart right now.

Who it may not suit: if you liked Co-Star because it is quick, CHANI asks for more of your time, since much of its value is in audio, meditations and reflection. And the full app is a subscription rather than a free tier with small extras, so it makes the most sense if you will open it most days.

What stands out: the clear position on who writes the words, the depth of the weekly and lunar content, and a large library of meditations, affirmations and sleep stories alongside the astrology.

The Pattern: for personality depth and relationships

The Pattern suits you if the part of Co-Star you liked most was comparing yourself with other people, and you want much more of it. Its listing describes a psychological blueprint of you and calls the app a mirror. The core sections are Your Pattern, an in-depth look at your personality, and Your Transits, the timing cycles it says you may meet through your life.

Relationships run through everything. Bonds show your compatibility with friends and romantic interests, Romantic Patterns and Friendship Patterns go deeper on each one, and Custom Friends lets you make a profile for anyone. There is also Connect, its dating feature, which it says uses a proprietary algorithm.

Who it may not suit: if you want to see and learn the astrology itself, such as which planet is in which house, The Pattern explains your patterns in plain language rather than showing the chart workings. Its listing does not make a clear statement about AI either way.

What stands out: a generous free tier with daily personalised updates, bonds with anyone and part of the content library, then Go Deeper+ for the full library, unlimited bonds, Astrology 101 classes and full Connect access. Our longer look at this app and its own alternatives is Best Alternatives to The Pattern Astrology App.

TimePassages: for learning your own chart

TimePassages suits you if Co-Star made you curious about your chart and you now want to understand it, not only be told about it. Its listing says it has been used by astrologers since 2012 and that every interpretation is written by real, experienced astrologers. Your birth chart and your daily horoscope, calculated from your own chart, are free.

It reads more like a desktop astrology program in your pocket. You see the chart wheel, each placement and aspect explained, synastry and composite charts for relationships, and transits and progressions for timing. Pro unlocks unlimited charts and forecasting, and single charts can be bought one at a time.

Who it may not suit: if you want short, punchy daily notes and a social feed of friends, TimePassages is more of a study tool than a social app. Its tone is careful and explanatory rather than playful.

What stands out: the free chart and horoscope, the written interpretations it says are by astrologers, and a privacy label on its App Store listing that shows only data not linked to you.

Astro Future: for a low-cost app with real chart tools

Astro Future suits you if you want Co-Star's personal daily horoscope plus proper chart tools, at a low yearly price. Its listing describes birth charts where you tap an aspect to read its meaning, transit charts you can scroll into the future, synastry charts for two people, and as many family members, friends and crushes as you like.

It also has home screen and Apple Watch widgets, PDF reports, a solar system view, a balance of elements and qualities in each chart, and a choice of house systems, which most daily apps do not offer.

Who it may not suit: if you want a strong, distinctive editorial voice like Co-Star's or CHANI's, Astro Future is more of a toolkit with a positive tone. Its listing also says its horoscopes are for entertainment purposes only.

What stands out: the price of its Premium plan, unlimited compatibility checks, a choice of house systems and a privacy label that shows only data not linked to you.

Astro Gold: for when you outgrow daily apps

Astro Gold suits you if you have caught the astrology bug and want the kind of tools astrologers use. It comes from the makers of Solar Fire, a long-standing desktop astrology program, and it uses the Swiss Ephemeris for its calculations. The free version already draws natal and transit charts with interpretations of signs, houses and aspects, plus synastry aspects between two charts.

The Gold Level, by trial, subscription or a one-time lifetime unlock, adds progressions, directions, solar and lunar returns, composite charts, essential dignities, midpoints and a choice of more than 25 house systems and several sidereal zodiacs.

Who it may not suit: if you want someone to tell you about your day, Astro Gold will feel like a lot of buttons. It gives you the chart and the tools, and you do the reading. It is a big step from Co-Star, so it fits best once you know your Sun, Moon and rising sign and want more.

What stands out: professional-grade options in a phone app, chart files that work with Solar Fire and the Mac version, and optional written reports bought one at a time.

Apps like Co-Star side by side

Here is the quick comparison. The "who writes it" column uses each app's own words where it gives them; where an app makes no clear statement, we say so rather than guess.

How do you choose the right app like Co-Star?

Ask yourself one question first: what do you want to change about Co-Star? The answer points to one app.

If you want a softer voice and more reflection: CHANI.

If you want more about your relationships: The Pattern.

If you want to understand your chart yourself: TimePassages, then Astro Gold when you are ready for more.

If you want the lowest yearly cost with real chart tools: Astro Future.

If you want to know who writes the words: CHANI and TimePassages are the clearest that people do; Co-Star says its astrologers work with AI.

Then try two at once for a week. Enter the same exact birth time and place in both, read each day's note and keep the one you found yourself opening without a reminder. Most of these apps put their best features behind a subscription, so only pay once you know which one you will use, and set a reminder before any free trial ends.

A quick privacy check helps too. Each app's App Store listing has an App Privacy section. On the listings we read for this guide, TimePassages and Astro Future showed only data not linked to you, while Co-Star, CHANI and The Pattern showed some data linked to your identity, such as contacts, contact details or usage data. Read the label, then decide how much birth data you are comfortable sharing, especially for friends you add.

If what you really want is not a daily app but a clear plan for the next twelve months, that is a different job, and Year Ahead Astrology Reports Compared sets out the free and paid options.

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