Compared honestly
Graha Darpan and AstroSage, the observatory and the encyclopedia
One of these products is ours, so read this the way you would read any host describing a rival. We have tried to be fair enough that an AstroSage loyalist would nod along.
The short answer
AstroSage is the encyclopedia of Indian astrology online, a vast free toolbox with calculators, horoscopes, reports, and an astrologer marketplace, financed by advertising and consultations. Graha Darpan does one thing narrowly and deeply. It casts your chart with the Swiss Ephemeris, shows every computed position, and lets you question an AI Jyotishi that answers only from that chart. Breadth against depth is the honest frame.
Where AstroSage is genuinely hard to beat
Credit first. AstroSage has served free kundlis for two decades, in more Indian languages than we offer, with an archive of articles, panchang pages, muhurta tables, and calculators for every corner of the tradition. Its matching tool is a household verb in some families. If your question is obscure, somewhere on AstroSage there is probably a page about it, and the price of all of it is tolerance for a busy, advertisement heavy interface. That is a fair trade many people happily make, and the product's longevity has earned real trust.
Where we chose differently
Graha Darpan began from a different irritation. Free chart sites tell you conclusions without showing the work, and the work is the whole point of Jyotiṣa. So every chart here prints its positions to the degree and minute, names its ephemeris, its ayanāṁśa, and its house system on the page, and the AI Jyotishi is constrained to read from those computed positions rather than improvise. There are no advertisements, no astrologer marketplace, and no countdown timers. The trade we ask is narrower scope. We cast charts, read them in conversation, and match kundlis. The encyclopedia we leave to the encyclopedia.
| What matters | Graha Darpan | AstroSage |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A focused chart and reading instrument | A full astrology portal and marketplace |
| Chart transparency | Swiss Ephemeris, Lahiri ayanāṁśa, whole sign houses, every position printed | Charts and reports from its own long standing engine, settings selectable |
| Readings | AI Jyotishi grounded in your computed chart, it fetches positions and never guesses | Written reports plus paid consultations with human astrologers |
| Kundli Milan | Full Ashtakoota with Manglik and papa samya, one match free, guided chat about the result | Free gun milan tool used at enormous scale |
| Pricing shape | Prepaid credits, one credit per question, cost always shown before you spend | Free tools with advertising, paid reports and per session consultations |
| Free tier | Free chart, dashas, yogas, today's forecast, and one guna match, no account needed | Most calculators and horoscopes free with ads |
| Interface | One dark, quiet screen built around the chart | Dense portal with many products competing for the same page |
| Languages | English, Hindi, Marathi | English, Hindi, and several more Indian languages |
| Privacy | DPDP consent on the first cast, delete your account and charts any time | Standard portal account model |
| Best for | A precise chart and an honest conversation about it | Research breadth, daily horoscopes, and one stop variety |
Choose AstroSage if
- You want the widest possible toolbox in one place, from lal kitab to KP to muhurta tables.
- You prefer a human astrologer on the phone and want a marketplace of them.
- You read horoscopes daily in a language we do not yet offer.
Choose Graha Darpan if
- You want to see the computed positions behind every claim, to the minute of arc.
- You want to interrogate your chart in plain language, in English, Hindi, or Marathi, without a meter running per minute.
- You would rather pay one visible credit per question than navigate advertisements and upsells.
Common questions
Is Graha Darpan free to try?
Yes. The chart, dasha timeline, yogas, today's forecast, and one full guna match are free without an account. Questions to the Jyotishi use prepaid credits, and new accounts start with twelve.
Do the two sites give the same chart?
With the same birth details, ayanāṁśa, and house system, any two honest calculators should agree closely. Where results differ, compare the settings first. We print ours on every chart precisely so this comparison is possible.