Comparison

Launch Console vs Flyby

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

Head to head
About

Launch Console

Track and view live rocket launches from Florida. Features include a real-time launch clock, mission details, and a compass to find the best viewing spot.

Highlights
  • Live rocket launch streams
  • Launch viewing compass
  • Real-time launch clock
  • Upcoming mission tracking
  • In-depth mission plans
  • Rocket details
Features
Read full description

Features: • Watch a live stream of every rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center & Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida. • Locate the exact spot on the horizon to watch during a live rocket launch using the Compass feature. • Countdown every second with real-time launch clock on the main screen. • Keep track of upcoming missions including current launch schedule, in-depth mission plans and rocket details.

About

Flyby

Track the International Space Station, satellites, and rocket launches visible from your location. Get alerts for upcoming passes and view them on a 3D globe or in Sky View. Log your sightings and enjoy detailed forecasts with Pro.

Highlights
  • ISS and satellite tracking
  • Rocket launch notifications
  • Live 3D globe visualization
  • Sky View with celestial labels
  • Pass alerts and forecasts
  • Sighting logbook
  • Home screen widgets
Read full description

See the ISS, other satellites and rocket launches from where you live. Flyby tells you when something worth seeing is about to pass over, and shows it on a live 3D globe. Free to download. Flyby Pro, with a free trial, adds exactly where to look, the full path in Sky View, clear-sky forecasts and Live Activities for passes. Free Tonight's passes. See which satellites cross your sky and when each one appears, worked out on your phone for your exact location. Pass alerts. Get a heads-up before a good pass, with the satellite's name and the time. Rocket launches. Follow upcoming launches from around the world, and see which ones you can actually see from home. A live 3D globe. Thousands of satellites, tracked as they move. Tap one to learn what it is. Sky View. Hold up your phone, or use the rendered sky indoors. The Moon, planets, bright stars and constellations are labelled where they really are. Show me tonight. A short tour of what's up tonight, one object at a time. Did you catch it? After a pass, Flyby asks if you saw it. Say yes and it goes in your Logbook with the time and place. Logbook. Every sighting in one place, with records to collect as you go and Echo, a small orange companion who's glad you looked up. Widgets. Your next pass and next launch on your Home Screen. With Flyby Pro Exactly where to look. Which way to face, how high to look and when it fades, for every pass and every visible launch. The full path in Sky View. See the line it will take across your sky, and scrub through time to preview it. Go-outside alerts. Fewer, better alerts, only for passes worth stepping out for, with where to look right in the alert. Clear-sky forecasts. Hour-by-hour cloud cover for each pass and visible launch. Live Activities. Follow a pass on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island while it happens. Getting started A short story shows what Flyby does, then asks for your location so every prediction is for your own sky. You choose which alerts you want. Sign in with Apple keeps your Logbook safe across devices and reinstalls. Subscription Flyby Pro is available monthly ($9.99) or yearly ($39.99), in US dollars. Prices may vary by country. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it in your App Store account settings. Any unused part of a free trial ends when you subscribe. Terms of Use: https://getflyby.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://getflyby.app/privacy EULA: https://getflyby.app/eula

Screenshots

Launch Console4 screens
Flyby4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Flyby at 89% against Launch Console's 34%. Flyby also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.7) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). Launch Console's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (303 vs 16). On price, ads 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

Both are free to download. Flyby sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Launch Console asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Flyby holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Launch Console has 303 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of Launch Console's written reviews are positive against 89% of Flyby's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Launch Console ships an update every 2 months, Flyby every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Launch Console versus Flyby: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLaunch ConsoleFlyby
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.7 (303 ratings)4.5 (16 ratings) — better
Positive reviews34.0% of reviews88.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings303 — better16
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB85 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrevard County Board of County CommissionersRedshift Software, LLC

Customer experience

Launch Console

All ratings303 ratings
Positive36.0%
Neutral8.3%
Negative55.8%
Written reviews100 reviews
Positive34.0%
Neutral11.0%
Negative55.0%

Flyby

All ratings16 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%

Bugs and requests

Launch Console

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Countdown timer not working correctly
  • Compass not pointing accurately
  • Inconsistent launch information
  • Compatibility issues with newer devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add push notifications for launches
  • Provide actual launch time, not just countdown
  • Include launch location details
  • Integrate with calendar for reminders
  • Expand to cover launches from other sites

Flyby

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Launch Console

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Flyby

Subscriptions2
  • Flyby Pro - Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Flyby Pro - Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Launch Console free?
Launch Console is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Flyby free?
Flyby is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Launch Console or Flyby?
Flyby is rated higher. Launch Console averages 2.7 out of 5 from 303 ratings, while Flyby averages 4.5 from 16 ratings.
Do Launch Console or Flyby have ads?
Neither Launch Console nor Flyby shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Launch Console or Flyby?
Launch Console ships an update every 2 months, and Flyby every 9 days. Most recently, Launch Console was updated on October 24, 2026 and Flyby on October 31, 2026.

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