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The tin sulfide solar cell has acquired prominence in recent years. We present the characteristics of two polymorphs of SnS and their perspectives in thin-film solar cells. Thin-film SnS with cubic crystalline structure (SnS-CUB) was obtained via two chemical routes. This semiconductor is distinct from the more common SnS thin films of orthorhombic crystalline structure (SnS-ORT), also obtained by chemical routes. The SnS-CUB reported here with a lattice constant a of 11.587 Å replaces the zinc blende structure previously reported for this material with a of 5.783 Å. Thin films of SnS-CUB have an optical bandgap ( Eg) of 1.66-1.72 eV and electrical conductivity ( σ) of 10−6 Ω−1 cm−1. These characteristics distinguish them from SnS-ORT presented here with an Eg of 1.1 eV and σ typically higher by two orders of magnitude. We discuss the uncertainties that have prevailed in the assignment of crystalline structure for SnS-CUB and SnS-ORT. The optical and electrical properties of these two polymorphs of SnS are contrasted in the context of light-generated current density in solar cells. We conclude that the two SnS polymorphs when considered together as optical absorbers offer wider prospects for tin sulfide thin-film solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]