Lightning Tracker vs StrikeCast
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lightning Tracker
Visualize real-time lightning strikes across North and South America on a dynamic map. Receive predictive alerts for strike patterns and intensity, with estimated arrival times for your location. Monitor current and historical lightning activity to stay informed and protected.
- Live lightning map
- Real-time strike visualization
- Predictive lightning alerts
- Estimated time of arrival (ETA) for strikes
- Monitor saved locations
- 6-hour strike history
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Stay safe from lightning! Lightning Tracker delivers real-time lightning strike data for North and South America, keeping you and your loved ones protected. Live Lightning Map: Watch real-time strikes across the Americas with color-coded visuals to track lightning movement. Lightning Alerts: Predict strike patterns and intensity, with ETAs for your location. Monitor Anywhere: Check strikes near you or saved spots, like home or family, in one tap. 6-Hour Strike History: Analyze past lightning trends to stay one step ahead. Protect what matters most with Lightning Tracker. Download now to track strikes and stay safe!
StrikeCast
This app provides real-time lightning strike distance and live alerts on a map. Save locations to receive notifications when lightning is detected nearby, even when you're away. It offers a clean interface with no ad clutter.
- Real-time lightning strike distance
- Live map of lightning activity
- Customizable alerts for saved locations
- Distance in miles or kilometers
- Approaching and moving-away trends (Pro)
- Animated weather radar (Pro)
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How close is the lightning? StrikeCast: Lightning Tracker puts the answer front and center. See the approximate distance to the nearest detected strike in miles/km, follow activity on a clean live map, and set alerts for the places you care about. DISTANCE AT A GLANCE • See the nearest detected strike without searching through the map • View distance in miles or kilometers • Check when the latest nearby strike was detected • Explore latest strikes and lightning hotspots • Built on NOAA GOES satellite lightning data ALERTS FOR PLACES THAT MATTER Save a location and choose an alert radius. StrikeCast can notify you when lightning is detected nearby, even when you are somewhere else. Monitor home, work, school, or any place you want to keep an eye on. CALM, CLEAR DESIGN No noisy dashboard and no ad clutter. When the area is quiet, StrikeCast says so. When lightning is nearby, the distance stays easy to find. UPGRADE TO PRO • Real-time strike data with no added free-tier delay • Approaching and moving-away trends • More saved locations and flexible alert radii • Animated weather radar • 12-hour thunderstorm forecast • Extended lightning range PRIVACY FIRST No ads. No cross-app tracking. Your location is used to calculate distance and power the alerts you choose. Lightning detection has inherent latency and location uncertainty. Distances are approximate. StrikeCast is informational and is not a substitute for official weather warnings or emergency guidance. Privacy Policy: https://strikecast.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://strikecast.app/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Lightning Tracker at 4.3 against StrikeCast's 3.0. Lightning Tracker also leads on ratings volume (574 vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). StrikeCast's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Lightning Tracker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and StrikeCast sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Lightning Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightning Tracker has 574 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Lightning Tracker ships an update every 4 months, StrikeCast every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lightning Tracker | StrikeCast |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (574 ratings) — better | 3.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 75.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 574 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 127 MB | 63 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Elecont LLC | Kirill Proskurin |
Customer experience
Lightning Tracker
StrikeCast
Bugs and requests
Lightning Tracker
Reported bugs
3 issues- App not detecting lightning strikes even when visible
- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Issues with app updates and functionality changes
Requested features
4 requests- Add distance/radius information for lightning strikes
- Implement push notifications/alerts for lightning within a certain radius
- Provide historical data and the ability to view past lightning activity
- Improve overall app stability and performance
StrikeCast
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Lightning Tracker
- Remove Ads & Limits$2.99
StrikeCast
- StrikeCast Pro$4.997 Days
- StrikeCast Pro$12.991 Month
- Lightning Tracker: Distance Pro3 Days trial$33.991 Year
Questions
Is Lightning Tracker free?
Is StrikeCast free?
Which has better reviews, Lightning Tracker or StrikeCast?
Do Lightning Tracker or StrikeCast have ads?
Which is updated more often, Lightning Tracker or StrikeCast?
Other comparisons
