Satellite Tracker vs Pips!
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Satellite Tracker
Track satellites, the Sun, and the Moon with rise/set times and visibility calculations. Visualize Earth with 3D globe or 2D map views and customize tracking options. Offers free basic functionality with optional subscriptions for expanded satellite access.
- Satellite, Sun, and Moon tracking
- Rise/set times and visibility calculations
- 3D globe and 2D map Earth views
- Customizable tracking options
- Free basic functionality
- Optional satellite subscription plans
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Satellite Tracker is the follow on to our award winning HamSat series of applications. Satellite Tracker merges all the features of the iPhone and iPad versions providing you a single application that seamlessly optimizes the screen to the device you’re running it on (check out the various iPhone and iPad screen shots). The application will calculate the rise/set times and associated azimuth and elevation for the selected satellite, Sun or Moon given either the user entered or network retrieved location. There are two modes for satellite rise/set calculations. The first is for those folks wanting to know all overflights for a given location (like Ham radio operators) while the second mode computes only those passes where the satellite would be visible to a ground observer. In the ground observer mode, the calculations not only take into account that the ground is dark but also that the satellite is in sunlight (it even takes into account if the satellite becomes lit or unlit during the pass) In addition, you can see the Earth rendered either as a 3D globe or a 2D map using photo realistic texture maps for the Earth model. The orientation of the map is easily changed by a simple rotation of the device from portrait (3D) to landscape (2D). In either orientation you can zoom in and out as well as pan using the touch screen. There are more than a dozen controls provided to allow you to customize how the application works to meet your specific needs (type of Earth texture used, location, type of overflight calculated…) Finally, the application is now free to download and provides full functionality for tracking, viewing and communicating with the International Space Station (what was the capability of the ISS family of paid apps). The following subscriptions are available for tracking and communicating with a larger set of satellites: -HamSat (Annual and Monthly): Provides access to the NORAD and AMSAT two line element sets which cover all amateur related satellites. -ProSat (Annual and Monthly): Provides access to thousands of satellites grouped into the following categories (from www.celestrak.com): -100 (or so) Brightest -Last 30 Day’s Launches (or so) -Amateur Ham Radio Satellites -CubeSats -Disaster Monitoring -Earth Resources -Education -Engineering -Geodetic -Geostationary -GOES -GPS Operational -Intelsat -Iridium -Molniya -NOAA -Orbcomm -Search & Rescue (SARSAT) -Space & Earth Science -Space Station -Weather To get a feel for the apps, please checkout the iPad quickstart video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiHCGxV0WM8) and associated user’s guide (http://www.vosworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SatSeriesHD.pdf) or the iPhone quickstart video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuPccQI9oSg) and it’s user’s guide (http://www.vosworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SatSeries.pdf). Please note that InApp payments will be charged to your AppleID account at the confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscription by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. For more information, please visit our Terms of Service at http://www.vosworx.com/terms-of-service-for-app and our Privacy Policy at http://www.vosworx.com/privacy-policy-for-apps. Thanks to everyone who has sent in their questions/requests and keep them coming! -Craig (support@vosworx.com)
Pips!
Generate custom tone sequences for time synchronization, inspired by global broadcast signals. Control frequency, duration, and volume to create unique 'pips' for personal or professional use. Includes presets from international broadcasters.
- Build custom pip sequences
- Control frequency, duration, and volume
- Use built-in presets
- Recreate historical time signals
- Generate new tone combinations
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Pips is a tone sequence generator inspired by the alluring & mysterious Greenwich Time Signal and its countless friends broadcast around the world. Both amateur and professional pip connoisseurs have the power to recreate time signals of yore or innovate new combinations of boops that will delight the world's radio lovers and keep things in sync. Become time by becoming boop. This is your goal. Features! - Build a sequence of one or more custom pips and play them through your device. - Control the frequency, duration, and volume of your pips so people of all ages can keep their clocks on time. - Use our built in presets to kickstart your new pip-filled existence. Includes time signals used by international broadcasters like the BBC & CBC as well as time stations like NIST's WWV. Pips will give you the power to tame time by delineating it in your own personal style. Synchronize yourself, your family, your life. You control time now. Congratulations.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Pips! at 5.0 against Satellite Tracker's 3.4. Satellite Tracker's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 25 months) and ratings volume (13 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Satellite Tracker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Pips! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Pips! holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Satellite Tracker has 13 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Satellite Tracker ships an update every 3 months, Pips! every 25 months. The most recent releases landed on August 21, 2026 and June 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Satellite Tracker | Pips! |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.4 (13 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 44.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 25 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Craig Vosburgh | Jason Thompson |
Customer experience
Satellite Tracker
Pips!
In-app purchases
Satellite Tracker
- Amateur Satellites Monthly$1.491 Month
- All Satellites Monthly$1.991 Month
- Amateur Satellites Annual$8.991 Year
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- All Satellites Annual$11.991 Year
Pips!
- Tip Jar$4.99









