Comparison

HamAlert vs ISS Tracker

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

HamAlert

Receive instant push notifications for desired amateur radio contacts. Filter alerts by various criteria like callsign, band, mode, and location. Stay updated on DX spots from multiple sources.

Highlights
  • Push notifications for desired stations
  • Filter spots by DXCC, callsign, and location
  • Support for Reverse Beacon Network, SOTAwatch, DX cluster, PSK Reporter
  • Filter by band, mode, and time
  • Filter by spotter callsign and DXCC
Features
Read full description

This app is a companion to the HamAlert web site (hamalert.org) and lets you receive push notifications from HamAlert. HamAlert is a system that allows amateur radio operators to get notifications when a desired station appears on the DX cluster, the Reverse Beacon Network, SOTAwatch, POTA, WWFF Spotline, or PSK Reporter. Spots can be filtered by various criteria, including: • DXCC (both actual and callsign home DXCC) • Callsign • Island reference • Summit reference • Park reference • CQ zone • Continent • Band • Mode • Time and days of week • Source • Spotter callsign and DXCC

About

ISS Tracker

Monitor the International Space Station's live position and vital telemetry data in real-time. Track its orbit, altitude, velocity, and internal environmental systems. Ideal for space enthusiasts and students interested in space exploration.

Highlights
  • Real-time ISS position tracking
  • Interactive world map
  • Altitude and velocity data
  • Comprehensive telemetry monitoring
  • Environmental and power system data
  • Dark mode support
Features
Read full description

Find out when the International Space Station flies over you and exactly where to look. On a good night it’s brighter than any star. YOUR NEXT PASS, IN PLAIN WORDS “Tonight at 8:05 PM. Look west, low.” Each pass also says how long it’s visible and how bright it is, and has a round sky chart that shows its path, from where it appears to where it fades. See 14 days of passes, and the cloud forecast for the next ones. ALERTS FOR GOOD PASSES Get a heads-up a few hours before a good pass, and an alert 5 minutes before it starts. A good pass climbs at least 30° above the horizon, or is bright and long. If two weeks have none, you get alerts for the best low passes instead. You can turn on alerts for every visible pass in the app’s settings. A Live Activity counts down on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. FIND IT IN THE SKY Hold your phone up and follow the pointer to the station. Saw a bright, moving light? Ask “Was that the ISS?” and get a straight answer. No telescope needed. WHERE IS THE ISS RIGHT NOW? See it on a 3D globe, with the day and night sides of Earth, or on a live map with the ground track of its orbit. You can add Tiangong, China’s space station, and get its passes too. WHO’S UP THERE See the crew on board, and the next launches, dockings and spacewalks. ALWAYS ONE GLANCE AWAY Widgets show your next pass on the Home Screen and Lock Screen. A Control Center button opens the sky pointer. PRIVATE AND SIMPLE No account needed. Every pass is worked out on your phone, and your exact location is never sent to us. Apple Weather and Apple Maps use it for the cloud forecast and the place name. For iPhone and iPad.

Screenshots

HamAlert1 screens
ISS Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ISS Tracker at 4.7 against HamAlert's 4.0. ISS Tracker also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months). HamAlert's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ISS Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 17 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of HamAlert's written reviews are positive against 100% of ISS Tracker's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HamAlert ships an update every 5 months, ISS Tracker weekly. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
HamAlert versus ISS Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHamAlertISS Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (34 ratings)4.7 (17 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings34 — better17
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperManuel KasperLucent Enterprises Ltd.

Customer experience

HamAlert

All ratings34 ratings
Positive67.6%
Neutral8.8%
Negative23.5%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral9.5%
Negative23.8%

ISS Tracker

All ratings17 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

HamAlert

No in-app purchases

None

ISS Tracker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HamAlert free?
HamAlert is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ISS Tracker free?
ISS Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HamAlert or ISS Tracker?
ISS Tracker is rated higher. HamAlert averages 4.0 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while ISS Tracker averages 4.7 from 17 ratings.
Do HamAlert or ISS Tracker have ads?
Neither HamAlert nor ISS Tracker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HamAlert or ISS Tracker?
HamAlert ships an update every 5 months, and ISS Tracker weekly. Most recently, HamAlert was updated on October 16, 2026 and ISS Tracker on October 16, 2026.

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