LightCast · Skyfire Alternative
LightCast

Looking for a Skyfire Alternative?

GoldCast scores golden hour quality from 0 to 100 and sends push alerts when a high-scoring evening is forecast. Plus five more tools built for photographers — all in one app.

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iOS app: $2.99/mo · 7-day free trial · Cancel anytime

Same question, more tools

Golden Hour Scoring Plus Everything Else

Skyfire is focused on one thing: predicting sunset and sunrise color. It does that reasonably well. LightCast's GoldCast answers the same question — will tonight's golden hour be worth going for — but adds push notifications for when it will be, and bundles it with five other photography-specific tools in the same app.

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GoldCast: 0–100 Golden Hour Score
Evaluates cloud cover by altitude layer, horizon clarity, atmospheric haze, and humidity. A single score tells you whether the setup looks promising, with a breakdown showing what's driving it. Push alerts in the iOS app when a high-scoring evening is forecast at saved locations.
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StarCast: Night Sky Conditions
Scores Milky Way and astrophotography conditions including Bortle class, moon phase, and atmospheric transparency. If you shoot after golden hour as well as during it, StarCast covers the rest of the night in the same app.
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FogCast, DroneCast, CloudCast, TriCast
Fog formation and burn-off timing, drone flight conditions, cloud layer analysis, and camera calculators. Tools that Skyfire doesn't include but that landscape photographers need regularly — all in the same app rather than spread across four separate downloads.
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Push Notifications
GoldCast and StarCast both send push alerts when conditions at saved locations are forecast to be exceptional. You set the threshold once and the app tells you when to go — no daily manual checking required.
LightCast GoldCast
One subscription, six tools

Replace Multiple Apps With One

If you're currently using a sunset prediction app, a separate night sky app, and a separate weather app to plan shoots, LightCast consolidates all of that. $2.99/month gets you GoldCast, StarCast, FogCast, DroneCast, CloudCast, and TriCast — plus push notifications for both golden hour and night sky conditions. The web version is free if you want to try before committing.

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GoldCast Push Alerts
Save your shooting locations and GoldCast alerts you when a high-scoring golden hour is forecast there. Set your score threshold once — 70+, 80+, whatever suits your standards — and let the app find the evenings worth heading out for.
Common Questions
What is a good Skyfire alternative?
LightCast GoldCast scores golden hour quality from 0 to 100 and sends push notifications when conditions are forecast to be exceptional at your saved locations. Free at lightcastsuite.com/goldcast, with push alerts in the iOS app.
Does GoldCast predict sunrise as well as sunset?
Yes. GoldCast scores both sunrise and sunset golden hour quality using the same cloud layer, horizon, and haze analysis. Morning shoots are often overlooked — GoldCast treats them with the same scoring weight as evening.
Does LightCast include night sky tools too?
Yes. StarCast scores night sky conditions including Bortle class, moon phase, and atmospheric transparency. Both GoldCast and StarCast send push notifications in the iOS app — so golden hour and Milky Way conditions are both covered in one subscription.
Is LightCast free?
The full web version is free at lightcastsuite.com. The iOS app is $2.99/month after a 7-day free trial and adds push notifications and saved locations.
What tools does LightCast include?
GoldCast, StarCast, FogCast, DroneCast, CloudCast, and TriCast. All six in one app for photographers who shoot more than just sunsets.
LightCast
Know when tonight's golden hour is worth heading out for.

0–100 golden hour score · Push notifications · Cloud layer analysis
Night sky · Fog · Drone · Saved locations · Free on web

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Check tonight's golden hour score free on web →

$2.99/mo after 7-day free trial · Cancel anytime in App Store