Comparison

Space Launch Now vs StarCat

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

Head to head
About

Space Launch Now

Stay informed about upcoming rocket launches from major space agencies and private companies. Access a comprehensive history of spaceflight, detailed vehicle information, and advanced search capabilities to find specific launches. Enjoy a customizable interface with day/night themes.

Highlights
  • Launch notifications
  • Spaceflight history
  • Vehicle details
  • Advanced search and filters
  • Day/Night theme
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Get updates and notifications for rocket launches from SpaceX, NASA, ULA, ROSCOSMOS, ISRO, and many more! Features: • Notifications for upcoming rocket launches. • History of space flight back to the first manned space flight. • Vehicle details on commonly used launch vehicles by SpaceX, NASA, ULA and others.. • Advanced search and filters for finding specific space launches. • Optional Day/Night theme. Launch Tracking Track rocket launches from SpaceX, ULA, and Orbital/ATK as well as international launches from NASA, ROSCOSMOS, ISRO, JAXA and ESA. Science Missions Follow along with NASA resupply missions to the International Space Station, commercial satellite launches from providers like IRIDIUM and science missions like James Webb Space Telescope! Vehicle Information Get to know all the rockets that take us to orbit such as the Soyuz, Atlas, Delta, Ariane, Proton and Falcon 9 launch vehicle families. Space Launch Now is in no way affiliated with SpaceX, NASA, ULA, ISRO, ESA or any other launch provider. By using this app you agree to the Apple Terms of Use (EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

StarCat

Stay updated on global rocket launches with real-time information and detailed mission specifics. Receive launch reminders and access a dedicated news section for spaceflight updates. Features Dynamic Island integration for live tracking.

Highlights
  • Live Activity tracking on Dynamic Island
  • Detailed mission information
  • Launch reminders and notifications
  • Spaceflight news section
  • Starship development updates
  • Reusable rocket landing info
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Track your favorite rockets with StarCat - your ultimate companion for staying in the loop on rocket launches worldwide. Whether you're a seasoned space enthusiast or just curious about the wonders of space exploration, StarCat brings you real-time information and comprehensive details about upcoming rocket launches. 1. Live Activity - Track every launch leveraging your Dynamic Island, best way to receive latest updates on tracked launch, regardless if it's a scrub or delay. 2. Mission Details - Dive deep into the specifics of each mission. Learn about the payload, launch vehicle, mission objectives, orbit information, location of the launch pad and landing information of reusable rockets, such as Falcon 9. 3. Launch Reminders - Never miss a launch again! Get notified before every launch with push notifications (customizable notifications coming in the future). 4. News Section - Get access to latest and featured articles about world of spaceflight with option to save articles you liked. 5. Starship Section - Latest news about Starship and Starbase with specially selected articles about development of our favorite spacecraft. Discover list of all prototypes developed at Starbase and list of all launches up to date - both orbital and sub-orbital - with respective information about their outcomes.

Screenshots

Space Launch Now4 screens
StarCat4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Space Launch Now at Free against StarCat's $1.99. Space Launch Now also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.0) and ratings volume (32K vs 1). StarCat's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 19) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence, chart position 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

Space Launch Now is free to download; StarCat costs $1.99 up front. Space Launch Now sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. StarCat asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Space Launch Now holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Space Launch Now has 32K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Space Launch Now ships an update monthly, StarCat every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Space Launch Now versus StarCat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpace Launch NowStarCat
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.8 (32K ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews58.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings32K — better1
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#65 — better#111
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size210 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCaleb JonesHubert Jozwiak

Customer experience

Space Launch Now

All ratings31,754 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral2.5%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews223 reviews
Positive58.3%
Neutral15.2%
Negative26.5%

StarCat

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

Space Launch Now

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes when using Starship tab
  • Watch live links not working
  • Home screen not loading properly
  • Countdown timer resetting unexpectedly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to add launches to calendar
  • Improve notification filtering by location/agency
  • Provide more context on mission details
  • Implement a feedback/support channel

StarCat

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

Space Launch Now

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Access Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Pro Access Annual14 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time11
  • Super Fan - 2020$1.99
  • Founder - 2018$2.99
  • Super Fan - 2021$2.99
Show 8 more
  • Ground Crew - 2020$3.99
  • Super Fan - 2022$3.99
  • Super Fan - 2024$4.99
  • Ground Crew - 2022$6.99
  • Flight Controller - 20202 variants$7.99
  • Flight Controller - 2022$9.99
  • Elon? - 2021$24.99
  • All Access Lifetime$49.99
None

StarCat

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Space Launch Now free?
Space Launch Now is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StarCat free?
StarCat costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Space Launch Now or StarCat?
Space Launch Now is rated higher. Space Launch Now averages 4.8 out of 5 from 32K ratings, while StarCat averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Space Launch Now or StarCat have ads?
Space Launch Now shows ads; StarCat does not.
Which is updated more often, Space Launch Now or StarCat?
Space Launch Now ships an update monthly, and StarCat every 5 weeks. Most recently, Space Launch Now was updated on October 14, 2026 and StarCat on October 2, 2026.
Which is more popular, Space Launch Now or StarCat?
Space Launch Now currently peaks at #65 in the App Store charts, and StarCat at #111. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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