# SpaceWeatherLive vs Aurora Buddy

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Aurora Buddy at 100% against SpaceWeatherLive's 53%. Aurora Buddy also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). SpaceWeatherLive's advantage is ratings volume (192 vs 8) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SpaceWeatherLive sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Aurora Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Aurora Buddy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SpaceWeatherLive has 192 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of SpaceWeatherLive's written reviews are positive against 100% of Aurora Buddy's.

SpaceWeatherLive ships an update every 4 months, Aurora Buddy every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SpaceWeatherLive | Aurora Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (192 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spaceweatherlive/id1435501021/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-buddy/id6757205504/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **192** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 53.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 30 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Parsec vzw](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435501020) | [Harsh Patel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1865290844) |

## What reviewers say

### SpaceWeatherLive

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

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 Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-buddy/id6757205504)

This app provides hyper-local aurora borealis predictions and alerts based on solar wind data and local weather. It helps users find the best viewing conditions with cloud cover and light pollution maps, and offers long-range forecasts for planning.

**Highlights:** Hyper-local aurora probability, Flight aurora viewing planner, Smart background location alerts, Interactive cloud cover maps, Light pollution data overlay, 5-day long-range forecasts

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SpaceWeatherLive free?

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

### Is Aurora Buddy free?

Aurora Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SpaceWeatherLive or Aurora Buddy?

Aurora Buddy is rated higher. SpaceWeatherLive averages 3.9 out of 5 from 192 ratings, while Aurora Buddy averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do SpaceWeatherLive or Aurora Buddy have ads?

SpaceWeatherLive shows ads; Aurora Buddy does not.

### Which is updated more often, SpaceWeatherLive or Aurora Buddy?

SpaceWeatherLive ships an update every 4 months, and Aurora Buddy every 10 days. Most recently, SpaceWeatherLive was updated on October 24, 2026 and Aurora Buddy on October 3, 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.*