Last checked: 20 September 2026.
The Night Sky is the most reviewed star map company in the world. Its homepage cites "over 20,000 five star reviews" and a 4.6 on Trustpilot, its prints are on Hahnemühle 200 gsm fine art paper with pigment inks rated for 100 years, and its museum-grade print starts at $39 in seven sizes. If you want a physical print and you want the biggest name, you can stop reading.
People look for alternatives for one reason above all others: The Night Sky does not sell a digital file in most countries. Their help centre is explicit: "For certain countries we cannot ship to, we do offer a Digital file." Elsewhere, you buy a print or nothing, and where digital is offered it is "non refundable and non editable after you have placed the order." A second reason is that the accuracy page names the ESA Hipparcos catalogue but gives no magnitude limit or star count, so there is less to check than some rivals offer.
We run The Star Moment, which appears below. Read accordingly. Every number here comes from a page on the company's own site opened on the date above; anything we could not find is marked "not published".
What The Night Sky offers today
- Print: museum-grade matte from $39; also canvas, gold and silver foil, glow-in-the-dark, and jewellery.
- Sizes: 12x12, 12x16, 16x16, 18x24, 20x20, 20x28, 24x32 inches.
- Paper: Hahnemühle 200 gsm, archival pigment inks.
- Digital: only in countries they cannot ship to; price not published.
- Delivery: up to 3 business days production, then 6 to 10 business days standard or 3 to 5 business days express ($30).
- Refunds: 30 days from receipt for damaged items or dissatisfaction; no refunds for customer errors; digital non-refundable.
- Accuracy: "European Space Agency's Hipparcos mission" catalogue; they suggest verifying against Stellarium.
- Live preview before purchase.
The alternatives at a glance
| Company | Digital file | Print from | Sizes | Delivery (prints) | Refund window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Night Sky | Restricted; not published | $39 | 7 (12x12 to 24x32) | 3 + 6 to 10 business days | 30 days from receipt |
| The Star Moment | $25 | Framed $69 | 3 (12x16, 18x24, 24x36) | 7 to 12 business days, free US | 14 days, digital included |
| Under Lucky Stars | $29 | $130 unframed | 3 (12x16, 18x24, 24x36) | 3 business days + 7 to 10 days | 30 days; digital excluded |
| GreaterSkies | MAD 209 shown (roughly $21) | MAD 609 (roughly $61) | 4 print, 10 digital | Not published | Full refund, no questions asked |
| OwnStarMap | $14 | $35 | 4 (Letter, A2, 16x20, 18x24) | 10 to 15 business days | Defects only |
| Mapiful | None | $39 | 3 (11x17, 18x24, 24x36) | 4 to 10 business days | 30 days after delivery |
| Starrymaps | Offered; not published | $55 | 3 portrait + 2 square | 3 to 4 + 2 to 20 days | 30 days, damage only |
| Twinkle In Time | Not published | $55 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
1. The Star Moment
If the reason you are leaving The Night Sky is the missing digital file, this is the direct fix. Our $25 file contains a 300 DPI PNG and a print-ready PDF at 12x16, 18x24 and 24x36, delivered by email within minutes. You see the finished map, watermarked, before paying and without giving an email. Framed prints are $69, $109 and $179 for the three sizes, black wood frame with acrylic front, free US shipping in 7 to 12 business days. All orders, digital included, carry a 14-day money-back guarantee. Our accuracy page states the catalogue (HYG, about 9,000 stars to magnitude 6.5), the 88 IAU constellations, the projection and the 1900 to 2100 limit.
Where The Night Sky is better: paper (their unframed Hahnemühle print is a heavier archival stock than the 170 gsm semi-gloss we use behind acrylic), size range (seven versus three), finishes (foil, glow, canvas), and a review base we cannot match yet.
Best for: a digital file you can print anywhere, or a framed US print at a middle price.
2. Under Lucky Stars
The other big brand. Twelve designs, a $29 digital product with three 300 DPI PDFs, and a claim that a NASA astronomer validated the maps. Delivery is 3 business days of manufacturing plus 7 to 10 days to the US, EU and Australia, with free shipping on unframed prints.
Where The Night Sky is better: print price. Under Lucky Stars quotes $130 for an unframed 12x16, against $39 at The Night Sky. Both exclude digital files from refunds.
Best for: a premium digital file from a name your recipient may recognise.
3. GreaterSkies
The accuracy-first choice, selling since 2006. Sources named (HYG and Yale Bright Star Catalog), stars to magnitude 7, a 1900 to 2100 range with the reason stated, coordinate grids on the map, ten digital sizes each rendered natively, and a full refund with no questions asked. Prices are shown in local currency; we were quoted MAD 209 for digital and MAD 609 for the smallest print and could not find a published USD figure.
Where The Night Sky is better: aesthetics and choice. GreaterSkies has four styles and a plain look.
Best for: buyers who will check the map in Stellarium and want it to hold up.
4. OwnStarMap
The cheapest credible digital file at $14, with prints from $35. The technical page is precise: HYG v4.2 derived catalogue, 8,921 stars to magnitude 6.5, 238 automated tests against known values.
Where The Night Sky is better: paper quality, standard frame sizes, and delivery time (OwnStarMap quotes 10 to 15 business days for prints, with no change-of-mind returns).
Best for: price.
5. Mapiful
Closest to The Night Sky in what it is: a poster company. Posters from $39 in 11x17, 18x24 and 24x36 on FSC-certified 200 gsm matte paper, frames available, delivery in 4 to 10 business days including production, and 30-day returns with return shipping at your cost. "100+ themes and styles" across the editor.
Where The Night Sky is better: accuracy documentation (Mapiful publishes none) and the range of finishes. Neither sells a digital file in the US.
Best for: a poster with far more style options, delivered a little faster.
6. Starrymaps
Posters from $55, framed prints in black, white or oak, canvas, and a digital download, produced by partner labs near you. Accuracy page names the Yale Bright Star Catalog and points to Stellarium for verification. Processing 3 to 4 business days, standard shipping 2 to 20 working days by region.
Where The Night Sky is better: published prices (Starrymaps' digital and framed prices were not on the pages we could reach) and a refund policy that includes dissatisfaction, not only damage.
Best for: a framed print with a frame colour choice, produced locally outside the US.
7. Twinkle In Time
Prints from $55 with free shipping, frames added at checkout, plus street and zodiac maps. They state they use "data from NASA" and suggest checking against Stellarium.
Where The Night Sky is better: almost everything is documented at The Night Sky; at Twinkle In Time, sizes, delivery time, refunds and digital pricing were not published on the day we checked.
Best for: their colour-forward style.
Which to choose
- You want a downloadable file: The Star Moment ($25), Under Lucky Stars ($29), OwnStarMap ($14) or GreaterSkies. The Night Sky is not in this race.
- You want a print and The Night Sky is out of stock or too slow: Mapiful (4 to 10 business days) is the fastest published window; The Star Moment ships framed in 7 to 12.
- You want the astronomy checked and documented: GreaterSkies, OwnStarMap, or our accuracy page.
- You want a framed piece without pricing a frame separately: The Star Moment includes the frame at $69, $109, $179.
You can design a map free and compare it side by side with any of these before spending anything. Our help page covers printing a digital file at a local shop if that is the route you take.
Sources
All pages opened on 20 September 2026.
- The Night Sky homepage: https://thenightsky.com/
- The Night Sky star map prints: https://www.thenightsky.com/catalogue/star-map-prints
- The Night Sky classic print: https://www.thenightsky.com/shop/night-sky-classic-star-map-print
- The Night Sky digital file policy: https://help.thenightsky.com/en/articles/9507742-pdf-or-digital-file
- The Night Sky shipping times: https://help.thenightsky.com/en/articles/9507593-prints-framed-prints-canvas-shipping-times
- The Night Sky refunds: https://thenightsky.com/legal/refunds
- The Night Sky accuracy: https://www.thenightsky.com/accuracy-of-our-star-maps
- The Star Moment pricing and accuracy: https://thestarmoment.com/pricing and https://thestarmoment.com/accuracy
- Under Lucky Stars digital, prices, FAQ, returns: https://support.underluckystars.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013188100-Digital-Star-Maps , https://support.underluckystars.com/hc/en-us/articles/360022352254-How-to-order-what-are-the-prices , https://www.underluckystars.com/en/faq , https://www.underluckystars.com/en/return-policy
- GreaterSkies: https://greaterskies.com/digital-star-map/ , https://greaterskies.com/custom-star-map/ , https://greaterskies.com/faq/
- OwnStarMap: https://ownstarmap.fr/en/
- Mapiful: https://www.mapiful.com/us/our-customizable-star-map-prints/ , https://www.mapiful.com/refund_returns/ , https://mapiful.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360006828812-Shipping-times
- Starrymaps: https://starrymaps.com/faq/ , https://starrymaps.com/products/poster/ , https://starrymaps.com/accuracy-of-our-star-maps/ , https://starrymaps.com/legal/returns-and-refunds/
- Twinkle In Time: https://twinkleintime.com/products/star-map/
Frequently asked questions
Does The Night Sky sell a digital download?
Only in countries it cannot ship a print to. Their help centre says the digital option appears at checkout where available, and that digital files are non-refundable and non-editable. In the US, expect print only.
Is The Night Sky accurate?
Their accuracy page names the ESA Hipparcos catalogue and recommends checking against Stellarium, which is a reasonable basis. They do not state a magnitude limit or star count. If that matters to you, GreaterSkies, OwnStarMap and The Star Moment publish those details.
How long does The Night Sky take?
Up to 3 business days to print and check, then 6 to 10 business days standard shipping or 3 to 5 express for $30, per their help centre.
Which alternative has the best paper?
On published specs, Mapiful (FSC 200 gsm matte) is closest to The Night Sky's Hahnemühle 200 gsm. Ours is 170 gsm semi-gloss behind acrylic, chosen for a framed piece rather than an unframed print.
Can I get a refund on a star map I do not like?
At The Night Sky, yes, within 30 days of receipt. GreaterSkies offers a full refund with no questions asked. The Star Moment refunds within 14 days, digital included. Under Lucky Stars, Starrymaps and OwnStarMap limit refunds to damage or defects on prints.
Published September 21, 2026