Comparison

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk vs PhosphorSWL

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

Head to head
About

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk

Track satellites in real-time, including the ISS and Starlink. Get predictions for upcoming passes and set alerts. Explore satellite orbits and trajectories with various viewing modes.

Highlights
  • Real-time satellite tracking
  • Satellite flyby timer
  • Pass predictions
  • Customizable location
  • Fly-with-satellite view
  • Satellite orbit over Earth
Features
Read full description

Observe the International Space Station in the sky above you and find out where human-made satellites are right now with SATELLITE TRACKER by STAR WALK! MAIN FEATURES - Real-time satellite tracking - The most outstanding satellites - Satellite flyby timer & pass predictions - Hand-picked passes & customizable location - Fly-with-satellite view - Satellite orbit over Earth Enjoy the easy and comfortable real-time satellite tracking with SATELLITE TRACKER! ► Select a satellite from the list and see its current location in the sky in real-time or track satellite live orbiting Earth. You can track the most famous and brightest satellites, SpaceX’s Stalinks, communications and weather forecasting satellites, and much more! ► At the top of the main screen, the flyby timer counts the amount of time left until the next flyby of the selected satellite over your location. Tap the down arrow to open the list of passes that will be visible from your location in the nearest future. ► Get precise predictions when satellites are visible in the sky above your location. The list of passes allows you to set any alert (one or more) for the satellite's pass that you’d like to witness. Switch between the app’s modes (Globe view, Satellite View, and Sky view) by tapping the round icons at the bottom of the screen. -> Choose Satellite View to enjoy the 3D image of a satellite flying over Earth with the real speed and location. -> Globe view allows you to see a satellite’s trajectory around the Earth's 3D model and on the Earth’s map. -> Find the satellites in the sky by following the arrow pointer with the Sky View mode. The app contains ads. The ISS is available by default. With SATELLITES LIVE subscription, you get an instant ad-free access to tracking satellites live orbiting over Earth and in the sky, the timer for the next appearance, and alerts about the nearest flybys. SATELLITES LIVE is a renewable subscription with a 1-week FREE trial that gives you access to content from within the app on an ongoing basis. Payment will be charged to your iTunes account. At the end of each subscription duration (1 month), the subscription will automatically renew until you choose to cancel it, and your account will be charged for renewal 24 hours before the end of the current period. Users can manage their subscriptions in their account settings on the App Store. Privacy policy: https://vitotechnology.com/privacy-policy.html Terms of use: https://vitotechnology.com/terms-of-use.html Never miss satellites passing by in the sky with SATELLITE TRACKER!

About

PhosphorSWL

Features
Read full description

PhosphorSWL is a shortwave broadcast schedule browser and numbers station reference, rendered through the green phosphor glow of a Cold War signals intelligence console. Your phone becomes a monitoring station — a frequency dial, a schedule grid, a station database, and a curated dossier of every numbers station still whispering into the void. BROADCAST SCHEDULES Browse over 10,000 shortwave broadcast entries from the EiBi database — the most comprehensive freely-licensed shortwave schedule resource in existence. Filter by frequency band, time, language, and target area. See what's on air right now. Search for stations by name, country, or frequency. Every broadcast entry includes transmission times, languages, target areas, transmitter sites, and signal path maps showing the great circle route from transmitter to target. Schedule data refreshes automatically from EiBi, keeping your listings current through seasonal schedule changes. NUMBERS STATIONS The centrepiece. A personally curated database of known numbers stations — active, historic, and legendary. ENIGMA designators, frequencies, schedules, operators, signal characteristics, and full station profiles assembled from publicly observable facts. From E06 "Russian Man" still counting for the GRU, to the ghost of E03 "The Lincolnshire Poacher" — the most iconic numbers station ever recorded, silenced in 2008 after decades broadcasting from RAF Akrotiri. The Buzzer on 4625 kHz. The Pip. The Squeaky Wheel. Cuban DGI digital modes. Chinese military networks. Polish intelligence. Every station for which sufficient factual data exists. This is not a decoder. It is a field manual for the darkest inhabitants of the radio spectrum. SCANNER Scroll the entire shortwave spectrum from VLF submarine communications through every broadcasting band. Band headers mark the boundaries. Tap any entry for full details and signal path mapping. HF PROPAGATION Live HF propagation conditions from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, derived from the planetary K-index. Band-aware — lower frequencies are more resilient to geomagnetic disturbance than upper HF. The status bar tells you whether the ionosphere is cooperating before you tune in. THE INTERFACE Three phosphor colour modes: green (default), amber, and red. Red mode preserves scotopic dark adaptation for night-time listening — the same principle used in military operations rooms, submarine control rooms, and observatory domes. CRT scanlines. Phosphor glow. A frequency readout rendered in segmented digits. Function key tabs. A UTC clock. No bright colours, no rounded corners, no friendly illustrations. This is a monitoring console, not a lifestyle app. FAVOURITES Bookmark any broadcast or numbers station for quick access. Your listening post, organised. DATA SOURCES Broadcast schedules: EiBi Shortwave Schedule Database (eibispace.de), freely licensed for third-party use. Numbers station data: curated from Priyom.org, ENIGMA 2000, Numbers & Oddities, and the Signal Identification Wiki. Propagation data: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (public domain). All station observations are factual records of publicly receivable radio transmissions. No subscriptions. No in-app purchases. No ads. No tracking. One price. The ether is full of ghosts. This is a ghost detector.

Screenshots

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk4 screens
PhosphorSWL4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Satellite Tracker by Star Walk at Free against PhosphorSWL's $0.99. Satellite Tracker by Star Walk also leads on chart position (#200 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.4). PhosphorSWL's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence and device support 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

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk is free to download; PhosphorSWL costs $0.99 up front. Satellite Tracker by Star Walk sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. PhosphorSWL asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk ships an update every 2 months, PhosphorSWL every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Satellite Tracker by Star Walk versus PhosphorSWL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSatellite Tracker by Star WalkPhosphorSWL
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.6 (70K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews57.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings70K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#200 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.4
Further details — not scored
Size331 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVito Technology Inc.Stuart Woolley

Bugs and requests

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unsubscribe button not working
  • Compass issues causing incorrect orientation
  • Occasional crashes and freezes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more satellite tracking options
  • Improve pass timing accuracy
  • Provide offline mode for remote use
  • Allow tracking of HAM radio satellites
  • Add more detailed satellite information

PhosphorSWL

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk

Subscriptions8
  • Real Time Satellite Tracking7 Days trial$0.491 Month
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1m$0.991 Month
  • Real Time Satellite Tracking7 Days trial$0.993 Months
Show 5 more
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1m$1.991 Month
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1m3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1y$5.991 Year
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1y$7.991 Year
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1y3 Days trial$7.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime Premium Access Sale$4.99
  • Lifetime Premium Access$9.99
None

PhosphorSWL

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Satellite Tracker by Star Walk free?
Satellite Tracker by Star Walk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PhosphorSWL free?
PhosphorSWL costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Satellite Tracker by Star Walk or PhosphorSWL have ads?
Satellite Tracker by Star Walk shows ads; PhosphorSWL does not.
Which is updated more often, Satellite Tracker by Star Walk or PhosphorSWL?
Satellite Tracker by Star Walk ships an update every 2 months, and PhosphorSWL every 3 months. Most recently, Satellite Tracker by Star Walk was updated on October 26, 2026 and PhosphorSWL on October 23, 2026.

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