AstroPal vs DrikPanchang: which is better?

A free panchang, plus the personal chart a calendar cannot read.

Try AstroPal freePro is 501 / month

The short answer

Why AstroPal beats DrikPanchang.

  • A free daily panchang with tithi, nakshatra and muhurat timings
  • Your birth chart read in depth, which a calendar never touches
  • A muhurat report matched to your chart and your specific event
  • 11 reports and 8 free Academy courses that explain the tables

Where DrikPanchang falls short

  • It is a calendar, not a chart reader; nothing here is about your birth
  • No interpretation of any kind
  • Dense reference tables that assume you already know what to do with them

In fairness, what DrikPanchang does well

  • Careful, well-regarded panchang and festival computation
  • Completely free, with no consultation funnel behind it
  • Comprehensive regional coverage across Indian calendar systems

DrikPanchang is the reference Hindu calendar and panchang site: tithi, nakshatra, yoga, karana, festival dates, muhurat tables and eclipse timings, computed carefully and given away free. It is a genuine public good and the astronomy is well regarded.

The four pillars

AstroPal vs DrikPanchang, one question at a time.

Accuracy: what actually computes the chart

AstroPal

AstroPal computes every chart with the Swiss Ephemeris in the sidereal zodiac. Lahiri is the default ayanamsa, with Raman, KP and Krishnamurti selectable. Twelve divisional charts from D1 to D30, planetary strength and the full Vimshottari mahadasha and antardasha tree are calculated for every birth, not just the D1.

DrikPanchang

No complaint here, and it would be dishonest to invent one. DrikPanchang computes its panchang carefully and is widely trusted for it. The point is simply scope: it answers what today is, not who you are. AstroPal computes both, using the Swiss Ephemeris for your natal chart, 12 divisional charts, planetary strength and the Vimshottari dasha tree, alongside a daily panchang.

Price: what it costs when you actually use it

AstroPal

One flat monthly price, and then nothing further. No per-minute meter, no per-report checkout, no charge for a follow-up question. The Kundali, Kundali Milan, Varshphal and baby name reports are free for everyone, PDF export included, and the entire Academy is open without an account.

DrikPanchang

Free, and admirably so. AstroPal also gives its panchang away free, along with the Kundali, Kundali Milan, Varshphal and baby name reports. The subscription is for personal chart interpretation, which is a different thing entirely.

Reports: what you get in writing, and get to keep

AstroPal

Eleven full-length Vedic reports covering career, wealth, health, marriage, relationships, muhurat, numerology and Varshphal. Four are free forever. Every one is saved to your account, reopenable months later, and exports to PDF straight from the browser, with unlimited follow-up questions included.

DrikPanchang

A panchang table is not a report. AstroPal ships 11 personalised reports, four free forever, saved and PDF-exportable, including a muhurat report that takes panchang data and applies it to your chart and your specific event.

Academy: whether anyone will teach you the method

AstroPal

Eight structured courses with ordered modules, lessons and quizzes, free and open without an account. They run from reading a first birth chart through yogas, Saade Sati, the Vimshottari dasha tree, nakshatras and planetary strength, so you can check the reasoning behind any answer rather than trusting it.

DrikPanchang

DrikPanchang assumes you already know how to read the tables. AstroPal publishes 8 free structured courses that explain what a tithi, a nakshatra and a yoga actually mean, and what to do with them.

Side by side

The full comparison.

Where DrikPanchang does not publish something, the row says so rather than guessing on their behalf.

  • Astrology system

    AstroPal

    Vedic (sidereal), and nothing else

    DrikPanchang

    Panchang and Hindu calendar computation

  • Calculation engine

    AstroPal

    Swiss Ephemeris, the same library professional astrologers audit against

    DrikPanchang

    Well-regarded astronomical computation

  • Ayanamsa

    AstroPal

    Lahiri by default, with Raman, KP and Krishnamurti selectable

    DrikPanchang

    Multiple, selectable for panchang

  • Divisional charts

    AstroPal

    12 vargas, D1 through D30, computed for every chart

    DrikPanchang

    Not offered

  • Dasha analysis

    AstroPal

    Vimshottari mahadasha and antardasha, with dated timing charts

    DrikPanchang

    Not offered

  • Who answers you

    AstroPal

    One engine reading your full chart, identical every session

    DrikPanchang

    A reference site, with no interpretation

  • Follow-up questions

    AstroPal

    Unlimited. Asking again never costs more

    DrikPanchang

    Not applicable

  • Written reports

    AstroPal

    11 reports, 4 of them free forever, every one exportable to PDF

    DrikPanchang

    Not offered

  • Learning material

    AstroPal

    A free 8-course Academy, open without an account

    DrikPanchang

    Reference material and explanations

  • Pricing model

    AstroPal

    Flat monthly, 501 / month for Pro, with a free tier. Asking again never costs extra

    DrikPanchang

    Free, advertising supported

Choose AstroPal if

  • You want the chart computed with a named ephemeris you can check
  • You want one flat price that does not move with how much you ask
  • You want reports you keep, reopen and export to PDF
  • You want to learn the method rather than take an answer on trust

Choose DrikPanchang only if

  • You want a precise panchang or festival date and nothing else
  • You already read panchang tables fluently and need no interpretation

The verdict

AstroPal gives you a free daily panchang and then does the personal astrology a calendar cannot: 12 divisional charts, planetary strength, dated dasha periods, 11 reports with 4 free, and a muhurat report matched to your own chart. DrikPanchang is excellent at panchang computation and answers what today is, never who you are.

AstroPal vs DrikPanchang: common questions

Does AstroPal have a panchang?

Yes, a free daily panchang with tithi, nakshatra and muhurat timings, plus a Hindu calendar. It is computed from the same Swiss Ephemeris stack the rest of the app uses.

What can AstroPal do that DrikPanchang cannot?

Read your birth chart. Twelve divisional charts, planetary strength, the full Vimshottari dasha tree, 11 written reports and unlimited questions about any of it. DrikPanchang is a calendar and does not compute anything about you personally.

Which is better for choosing a muhurat?

For a general auspicious date, a panchang is enough. For a muhurat matched to your own chart and your specific event, AstroPal has a dedicated muhurat report that returns dated windows.

Read your own chart instead of comparing apps

Free Kundali, free Kundali Milan, 4 full reports at no cost, and 8 Academy courses open without an account. No card required.

Competitor details are summarised from publicly available information and change often, especially pricing. Check the vendor site before deciding. Where a company does not publish something, we say so rather than guessing.