Comparison
Co-Star alternatives: four astrology apps worth comparing
The best Co-Star alternative depends on what you want more of: SchemaSeek for a plain-language personal reading and life timing, The Pattern for long-form personality and relationship insights, CHANI for human-written horoscopes with meditation and journaling, and TimePassages for detailed chart software. Here is how they compare, as of September 2026.
Why people look for an alternative
Co-Star is known for short, personalized daily horoscopes and a social layer of friends and compatibility. People who look elsewhere usually want one of four things: more depth about themselves, more on relationships, a slower reflective practice, or more technical chart detail. Each app below leans toward one of those.
Feature by feature, as of September 2026
Facts come from each company's own website and app store listing, listed under Sources.
A check (Yes) means the app's own materials describe the feature. Partial means a narrower version, explained in the numbered note under the table. A dash (Not listed) means we did not find it in the official materials we reviewed as of September 2026; the app may still offer it, so check its source.
| Feature | SchemaSeek | The Pattern | CHANI | TimePassages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free reading or chart to start | ||||
| Plain language with no astrology jargon | 1 | |||
| Reading across life areas such as work, money, love, family, and place | 2 | 3 | ||
| Planning calendar with day, week, month, and year views | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| Multi-year life chapters | 7 | |||
| Works without an exact birth time | 8 | |||
| Ask your own question | 9 | |||
| Personal written answer reviewed by a SchemaSeek expert | ||||
| Compatibility with friends | ||||
| Runs in any web browser, no install | 10 | 11 | ||
| Daily horoscope | ||||
| Native iOS and Android apps |
YesPartial: a narrower version, explained in the numbered noteNot listed in the app's official materials as of September 2026
- The Pattern (Plain language with no astrology jargon): Its App Store listing describes its writing as easily digestible for all.
- The Pattern (Reading across life areas such as work, money, love, family, and place): Timing themes across different areas of your life, rather than a reading for each area.
- CHANI (Reading across life areas such as work, money, love, family, and place): Annual horoscopes cover four main areas of life.
- The Pattern (Planning calendar with day, week, month, and year views): A Time Travel view for any past, present, or future date.
- CHANI (Planning calendar with day, week, month, and year views): Daily horoscopes and month-by-month readings for the year ahead.
- TimePassages (Planning calendar with day, week, month, and year views): Forecasting tools with the Pro subscription.
- CHANI (Multi-year life chapters): Year-ahead readings and annual horoscopes, one year at a time.
- CHANI (Works without an exact birth time): Its help center says an estimate or noon can be used, with less precise results.
- CHANI (Ask your own question): Questions can be submitted for the Ask Me Anything segment of its weekly podcast.
- The Pattern (Runs in any web browser, no install): A free natal chart on the web; the app itself is on iOS and Android.
- CHANI (Runs in any web browser, no install): Free horoscopes, articles, and a birth chart tool on the web; the app itself is on iOS and Android.
SchemaSeek: for depth and life timing
SchemaSeek is a personal intelligence app that turns your birth chart and your answers about your life into plain-language readings of your patterns, strengths, and life timing across nine life areas. It is built on centuries of astrological observation. The Preview is free and yours to keep; Full Schema opens every life area and ongoing timing.
It suits people who want astrology that reads like a clear outside view rather than a list of placements: a core pattern, strengths, watch-outs, and a calendar with tones and confidence levels for planning. Compatibility is a Shared dynamic that both friends opt into, with no match scores. It runs in any web browser on phone or desktop, rather than as a native mobile app.
The Pattern: for personality and relationships
The Pattern focuses on self and relationship insights: a personality profile, timing cycles, bonds with friends and partners, and a dating feature, on iOS and Android.
CHANI: for a reflective daily practice
CHANI offers horoscopes written by human astrologers, weekly audio readings, guided meditations, affirmations, and journaling prompts, on iOS and Android.
TimePassages: for chart detail
TimePassages, from Astrograph Software, is astrology software for iPhone, Android, the web, Mac, and PC, with birth charts, compatibility charts, and interpretations written by astrologers. It suits people who want to study the chart itself rather than read a plain-language summary.
How to choose
Ask yourself what you want to get out of the app each week:
- A quick daily check-in with friends: Co-Star may still be the right app.
- A clearer read on yourself and what a period tends to favor: try SchemaSeek's free Preview.
- Rich writing about personality and relationships: look at The Pattern.
- A calm routine with meditation and journaling: look at CHANI.
- Technical chart study: look at TimePassages.
Whichever you pick, treat it as a prompt for reflection, not a prediction, and keep important decisions grounded in facts and qualified advice.
About this comparison
Facts about other apps come from their own websites and developer app store listings, accessed September 24, 2026. Features and plans can change at any time, so check each source for current details. Co-Star, The Pattern, CHANI, and TimePassages are trademarks of their respective owners, used here only to identify their products; SchemaSeek is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any company named here.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Co-Star?
It depends on what you want. SchemaSeek's free Preview gives a plain-language reading of your core pattern, a strength, a watch-out, and a first timing read; The Pattern and CHANI also offer free starting points.
Is there an astrology app without astrology jargon?
SchemaSeek is written entirely in everyday language, with the chart terms kept under the hood, so you can read your patterns and timing without learning any vocabulary.
Sources
- Co-Star on the Apple App Store (US) (opens in a new tab)
- Co-Star free natal chart (opens in a new tab)
- The Pattern website (opens in a new tab)
- The Pattern free natal chart (opens in a new tab)
- The Pattern on the Apple App Store (US) (opens in a new tab)
- CHANI website (opens in a new tab)
- CHANI app page (opens in a new tab)
- CHANI on the Apple App Store (US) (opens in a new tab)
- CHANI help center (opens in a new tab)
- TimePassages by Astrograph (opens in a new tab)
- TimePassages free birth chart (opens in a new tab)
- SchemaSeek help center