# The Northern Lights Tracker vs Step's Aurora Guide

The clearest difference is chart position: Step's Aurora Guide at #191 against The Northern Lights Tracker's unranked. Step's Aurora Guide also leads on ratings volume (116 vs 29). The Northern Lights Tracker's advantage is review sentiment (25% vs 14%) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Northern Lights Tracker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Step's Aurora Guide sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for The Northern Lights Tracker against 4.6 for Step's Aurora Guide. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 29 and 116 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 25% of The Northern Lights Tracker's written reviews are positive against 14% of Step's Aurora Guide's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Northern Lights Tracker | Step's Aurora Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-northern-lights-tracker/id1586329995/reviews)** | [4.6 (116 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steps-aurora-guide/id1670143757/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 29 | **116** |
| Positive reviews | **25.0% of reviews** | 14.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#191** |
| Size | 78 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Weijie Li](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586329997) | [Steps Aurora Guide](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896765831) |

## What reviewers say

### The Northern Lights Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-northern-lights-tracker/id1586329995)

Maximize your chances of witnessing the Northern Lights with intelligent forecasts, real-time insights, and smart alerts. Plan your viewing sessions with hourly and long-term predictions, and explore interactive maps of the best locations worldwide.

**Highlights:** Intelligent aurora forecasts, Real-time insights, Smart alerts for activity, Hourly and 27-day long-term predictions, Interactive map of viewing spots, AI-powered predictions, Global and US-specific location data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aurora PRO | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Aurora PRO | $19.99 | per year |
| Donation | $1.99 | one-time |


### Step's Aurora Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steps-aurora-guide/id1670143757)

**Currently charting:** #191 Top Grossing · Weather (US App Store)

This app provides aurora forecasts, alerts, and expert photography advice. It helps users plan and capture stunning aurora images with real-time data, geomagnetic forecasts, and personalized guidance.

**Highlights:** 27-day geomagnetic activity forecast, Moon phase and darkness alignment, Real-time aurora probability, Hour-by-hour weather updates, Expert photography advice, Custom location comparison

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Alerts, Forecast & Guide | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Alerts, Forecast & Guide | $6.99 | per month |
| Alerts, Forecast & Guide | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Northern Lights Tracker free?

The Northern Lights Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Step's Aurora Guide free?

Step's Aurora Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Northern Lights Tracker or Step's Aurora Guide?

The Northern Lights Tracker is rated higher. The Northern Lights Tracker averages 4.7 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while Step's Aurora Guide averages 4.6 from 116 ratings.

### Do The Northern Lights Tracker or Step's Aurora Guide have ads?

Neither The Northern Lights Tracker nor Step's Aurora Guide shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Northern Lights Tracker or Step's Aurora Guide?

The Northern Lights Tracker ships an update every 3 weeks, and Step's Aurora Guide every 3 weeks. Most recently, The Northern Lights Tracker was updated on October 30, 2026 and Step's Aurora Guide 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.*