Comparison

Satellite Tracker vs Pips!

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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)

About

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.

Highlights
  • Build custom pip sequences
  • Control frequency, duration, and volume
  • Use built-in presets
  • Recreate historical time signals
  • Generate new tone combinations
Features
Read full description

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

Satellite Tracker4 screens
Pips!3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Satellite Tracker versus Pips!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSatellite TrackerPips!
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (13 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews44.4% of reviews
Number of ratings13 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 25 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCraig VosburghJason Thompson

Customer experience

Satellite Tracker

All ratings13 ratings
Positive61.5%
Neutral7.7%
Negative30.8%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive44.4%
Neutral11.1%
Negative44.4%

Pips!

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Satellite Tracker

Subscriptions4
  • Amateur Satellites Monthly$1.491 Month
  • All Satellites Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Amateur Satellites Annual$8.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • All Satellites Annual$11.991 Year
1 purchases

Pips!

One-time1
  • Tip Jar$4.99

Questions

Is Satellite Tracker free?
Satellite Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pips! free?
Pips! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Satellite Tracker or Pips!?
Pips! is rated higher. Satellite Tracker averages 3.4 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Pips! averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Satellite Tracker or Pips! have ads?
Neither Satellite Tracker nor Pips! shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Satellite Tracker or Pips!?
Satellite Tracker ships an update every 3 months, and Pips! every 25 months. Most recently, Satellite Tracker was updated on August 21, 2026 and Pips! on June 8, 2026.

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