# SpaceWeatherLive vs Aurora Alert Realtime

The clearest difference is rating: SpaceWeatherLive at 3.9 against Aurora Alert Realtime's 3.3. SpaceWeatherLive also leads on ratings volume (192 vs 6) and chart position (#199 vs unranked). Aurora Alert Realtime's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (75% vs 53%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SpaceWeatherLive sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Aurora Alert Realtime sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SpaceWeatherLive holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SpaceWeatherLive has 192 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 53% of SpaceWeatherLive's written reviews are positive against 75% of Aurora Alert Realtime's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SpaceWeatherLive ships an update every 4 months, Aurora Alert Realtime every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SpaceWeatherLive | Aurora Alert Realtime |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (192 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spaceweatherlive/id1435501021/reviews)** | [3.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-alert-realtime/id6443596649/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **192** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 53.0% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#199** | — |
| Size | 30 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Parsec vzw](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435501020) | [Kooditehdas Oy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1440062928) |

## What reviewers say

### SpaceWeatherLive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spaceweatherlive/id1435501021)

**Currently charting:** #199 Top Grossing · Weather (US App Store)

Track aurora and solar activity in real-time with detailed forecasts and historical data. Receive customizable push notifications for significant space weather events. Explore an extensive archive and learn from expert reports.

**Highlights:** Aurora and solar activity tracking, Real-time forecasts, Push notifications for space weather events, Dark mode for night use, Detailed graphs and reports, Extensive historical data archive, Beginner-friendly explanations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-free - monthly package | $0.99 | per month |
| Ad-free - half-yearly package | $5.49 | per 6 months |
| Ad-free - yearly package | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent space weather information
- 🔍 Detailed and informative data
- 📚 Helpful tutorials and explanations
- 🌍 Useful for aurora chasers and enthusiasts
- 🤖 Comprehensive data from various sources

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Overwhelming amount of information
- 🔔 Too many notifications/alerts
- 💰 Ads becoming too intrusive
- 🔌 Notifications not always working
- 🤔 Confusing navigation at times

**Reported bugs**

- Video links not working
- Alerts disappearing after opening the app
- Inconsistent performance after updates
- Notification count not clearing properly

**Requested features**

- Customizable notification settings
- Dark mode option
- Location-based alerts
- Ability to track solar activity trends
- Integration with other weather/astronomy apps


### Aurora Alert Realtime

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-alert-realtime/id6443596649)

Receive real-time alerts for visible Northern Lights with high-quality, automatically updated imagery. Access daily forecasts, detailed knowledge, and stunning photos to enhance your aurora viewing experience.

**Highlights:** Real-time aurora alerts, High-quality sky imagery, Automated image updates, Daily aurora and weather forecasts, 1, 3, and 27-day aurora forecasts, Northern Lights knowledge base

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 day subscription | $5.99 | one-time |
| 2 days subscription | $9.99 | one-time |
| 3 days subscription | $13.99 | one-time |
| 4 days subscription | $17.99 | one-time |
| 5 days subscription | $21.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SpaceWeatherLive free?

SpaceWeatherLive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Aurora Alert Realtime free?

Aurora Alert Realtime is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SpaceWeatherLive or Aurora Alert Realtime?

SpaceWeatherLive is rated higher. SpaceWeatherLive averages 3.9 out of 5 from 192 ratings, while Aurora Alert Realtime averages 3.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do SpaceWeatherLive or Aurora Alert Realtime have ads?

SpaceWeatherLive shows ads; Aurora Alert Realtime does not.

### Which is updated more often, SpaceWeatherLive or Aurora Alert Realtime?

SpaceWeatherLive ships an update every 4 months, and Aurora Alert Realtime every 2 months. Most recently, SpaceWeatherLive was updated on October 29, 2026 and Aurora Alert Realtime on October 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*