# The Northern Lights Tracker vs Aurora Forecast

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Aurora Forecast at 67% against The Northern Lights Tracker's 29%. Aurora Forecast also leads on monetization model (free vs freemium) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). The Northern Lights Tracker's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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 Aurora Forecast sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The Northern Lights Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26 and 10 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 29% of The Northern Lights Tracker's written reviews are positive against 67% of Aurora Forecast's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

The Northern Lights Tracker ships an update every 3 weeks, Aurora Forecast every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Northern Lights Tracker | Aurora Forecast |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-northern-lights-tracker/id1586329995/reviews)** | [4.6 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-forecast/id6504164852/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **26** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 28.6% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 78 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Weijie Li](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586329997) | [Kurian Onnunny Samuel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1500495503) |

## 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 |


### Aurora Forecast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-forecast/id6504164852)

Track the Northern Lights with real-time predictions and detailed aurora information. This user-friendly application provides accurate forecasts based on advanced satellite data, making it ideal for aurora enthusiasts and photographers.

**Highlights:** Real-time aurora predictions, Advanced satellite data, User-friendly design, Reliable forecasts, No advertisements, No subscriptions

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy Me Coffee ? | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Northern Lights Tracker free?

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

### Is Aurora Forecast free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Northern Lights Tracker or Aurora Forecast?

The Northern Lights Tracker is rated higher. The Northern Lights Tracker averages 4.8 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Aurora Forecast averages 4.6 from 10 ratings.

### Do The Northern Lights Tracker or Aurora Forecast have ads?

Neither The Northern Lights Tracker nor Aurora Forecast shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Northern Lights Tracker or Aurora Forecast?

The Northern Lights Tracker ships an update every 3 weeks, and Aurora Forecast every 5 days. Most recently, The Northern Lights Tracker was updated on September 15, 2026 and Aurora Forecast on September 24, 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.*