The Best Astrology Sites for a Free Birth Chart
Daniel Egneus
As recently as 20 years ago, when you brought up astrology in conversation, most people could only tell you their sun sign. These days, many people can rattle off their “Big Three” zodiac signs—their sun, moon, and rising sign—often including the trio in their social media bios. Exploring our charts beyond sun signs has brought some of us to a new consciousness about ourselves and our place in the universe.
But the real magic of astrology comes when you sit down with an astrologer and they see into your soul based only on a graphic interpretation of the sky the moment you were born. Ideally, a real-life astrologer would break down your birth chart, but if that’s not accessible to you, there are a few apps and websites that can create a perfectly serviceable computer-generated one.
A basic natal chart interpretation should tell you those big three signs, what sign all your planets are in and how their energy might express yourself in your life, and what houses your planets are in, and which areas of your life are main focuses for you (for example, home and family vs. career). Some might also identify and explain patterns in your chart, like multiple planets all in one sign or two planets that “work together” in your chart. Below, a few of the best (IMHO) websites and apps that offer free birth charts.
The Best Site for Going Deep: Astrodienst aka Astro.com
I could write a whole article just on how great Astro.com is. It’s the first place I got my very own free natal chart reading in the late aughts. Astro.com’s horoscopes (the pieces of which are written by human astrologers, then computer-generated into a holistic birth chart for each individual) went online in 1996. They were quickly hailed as the best available, largely because the astrology writing behind the automation are from some of the most world-renowned astrologers living today, like Liz Greene (a pioneer of psychological astrology) and Robert Hand (whose monumental book Planets in Transit is likely on every astrology influencer’s bookshelf).
Once your birth chart has been generated, you can use the AstroClick feature to explore the aspect lines in your chart and get more in depth on what it all means. In addition to the base chart, the site offers 16 different kinds of horoscopes—Psychological, Money and Success, Career and Vocation, and The Child’s Horoscope, to name a few—with free previews of buyable content. The horoscopes all use the same information, your birth chart, but are written by several different astrologers who view the chart through different lenses. The free horoscope with the most complete info is the Personal Portrait, though I highly recommend the Psychological Horoscope by Liz Greene, an 18-25 page astrological deep dive on your chart from a Jungian Psychological lens for $70 (worth it).
The Best Site for a Gentle Intro to Yourself: Cafe Astrology
Cafe Astrology has been offering horoscopes and a bounty of astrological information about the zodiac signs and planets since 2022. The site is a veritable encyclopedia of beginner astrology with tons of information and explanations. There are many types of reports, some free and some paid, as well as a lot of great “cookbook astrology” like descriptions of each planet in each sign viewed through the lens of a natal chart, or love, or how the latest retrograde planet will affect your sign.
The Free Natal Chart Report is informative and written with gentle, caring language. My only issue with the site is that the authors of the horoscopes aren't always clearly credited on the reports.
Best Site for a Complete Overview: Astro-Seek
Founded in late 2017, Astro-Seek is one of the best places on the web to get a free comprehensive intro to your natal chart. Once your chart is generated, you get a ton of info, including a quick breakdown of all your planets, the houses they’re in, and their rulerships as well as important aspects. The text, which Astro-Seek notes is all computer generated (and it certainly reads as such) is in the third person and the language is suggestive so one can emotionally detach if some of the info is jarring. This allows some distance from any startling discoveries you may make, though it does read as a bit less personal than some other sites.
Best Site for Brevity: Astrolabe
Astrolabe has been around since 1979, primarily offering software for astrologers, and the site definitely gives off “early internet” vibes. The chart reading is short and to the point. The circular chart itself is a little hard to read, though important details are listed below as well. For $25, you can order a much more comprehensive chart from many different astrological perspectives. To be honest, this is really not the best one, but the Astrolabe website doesn’t really need to be snazzy: Their bread and butter is Solar Fire, the most well-known astrological software used by many astrologers the world over.
Best App for Connecting with Friends: Co-Star
Co-Star is undoubtedly one of the most popular astrology apps for the masses; according to Co-Star’s website, it’s downloaded every five seconds. Even if you aren’t a user, you’ve likely seen the app referenced on social media. l’ll admit that when I first heard about Co-Star, I dismissed it as unprofessional and unserious, but after exploring the app for myself, I totally get the hype.
I appreciate the artistry of its sleek, neo-gothic look and its sound astrology. It gives a clear breakdown of all the planets and their signs, plus offers free daily horoscopes as well as paid specialized readings like compatibility, a year ahead, and questions. I had fun playing around in the “Void,” an animated feature where you get quick answers to questions you might not have even realized you had. The tone here is definitely not gentle; some have even criticized Co-Star for its edgy humor and dramatic push notifications. Still, it seems the company takes their social responsibility seriously: The settings section has a list of mental health resources and a direct link to a crisis text line.
No matter which site or app you go with, you will get a better understanding of your natal chart as a whole. Hopefully, you will also find a deeper insight of yourself, your purpose, your challenges, your gifts and where you fit into this great big universe of ours.
Keep reading:
The Personality Traits of Each Zodiac Sign
A Comprehensive Guide to Rising Signs
What Your Moon Sign Means for Your Emotional Personality
Originally Appeared on Allure
