Comparison

The Northern Lights Tracker vs Aurora Notifier

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

Head to head
About

The Northern Lights Tracker

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
Read full description

Have you ever dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights dance across the sky? The Northern Lights Tracker is your ultimate companion for turning that dream into reality. Whether you're at home or abroad, the app will maximise your chances of witnessing this breathtaking natural wonder by combining intelligent forecasts, real-time insights, and smart alerts — everything you need to experience northern lights like never before. - TAILORED FOR THE UNITED STATES Find the best viewing spots near you across Alaska and the Lower 48. Alaska: Fairbanks and Chena Hot Springs, Denali National Park, Nome, and Utqiagvik (Barrow). Lower 48: Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (Keweenaw Peninsula, Pictured Rocks), Minnesota (Voyageurs National Park, Grand Marais), Maine (Aroostook County, Acadia National Park), North Dakota and Montana (Theodore Roosevelt and Glacier National Parks), the Idaho Panhandle, and northern Washington, Vermont, and New Hampshire. - JUST AS GOOD WORLDWIDE Plan from anywhere — the US, Canada, UK, Europe, or Asia — and use The Northern Lights Tracker on the go. Join a global community who rely on our forecasts and alerts when visiting iconic destinations like Iceland, Norway, Finland, Swedish Lapland, Scotland, and Canada’s Yukon and Northwest Territories. - INSTANT INTELLIGENT CALCULATIONS Harness advanced algorithms that instantly calculate your viewing probability using real-time weather, location data, and solar activity. With continuous updates, you’ll always know when and where your chances are best. - HOURLY FORECASTS Stay one step ahead with detailed hourly forecasts for key indicators that influence aurora visibility. Plan your viewing sessions more efficiently, reduce waiting time, and increase your chances of seeing the lights at their most vivid. - LONG-TERM FORECASTS Plan your dream northern lights trip with confidence. Our 27-day long-term prediction feature helps you choose the best time and destination — so you're always in the right place at the right moment. - INTERACTIVE MAP Explore the best northern light viewing spots around you with our easy-to-use interactive map. Each location includes detailed information such as accessibility, amenities, and historical aurora activity to help you plan your perfect viewing experience. - SMART ALERTS Never miss a chance to see the magic! The app sends timely notifications whenever strong northern lights activity is expected, keeping you prepared to witness this incredible natural display. - FREE TO USE The Northern Lights Tracker is completely free to download and use. Enjoy all the essential features, or upgrade to the PRO plan to support development and unlock even more advanced tools. - AI-POWERED PREDICTIONS Experience next-level accuracy with AI-powered forecasts. Our intelligent system analyzes vast amounts of solar and space-weather data to predict Aurora visibility with remarkable precision. - USER TESTIMONIALS “A game-changer! I saw the Northern Lights on my first trip thanks to this app.” — Emma, Denver “The interactive map is fantastic. It guided me straight to the best viewing spot, and I captured stunning photos. The alerts are super helpful too.” — Jake, Austin “I love that the app includes info about local wildlife. It made our family trip so much more fun and educational for the kids!” — Megan, Boston - DOWNLOAD THE APP TODAY Begin your journey to discover the Northern Lights. From real-time forecasts and intelligent alerts to AI predictions and interactive maps, The Northern Lights Tracker is the ultimate guide to experiencing one of nature's most beautiful spectacles. Don't just dream it — see it. Download The Northern Lights Tracker today and start your adventure beneath the dancing lights. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Aurora Notifier

Receive alerts for potential aurora sightings with configurable thresholds for Kp-index and solar wind parameters. See user-submitted photos and real-time observation locations on a 3D globe. A premium version offers advanced technical data and hidden features.

Highlights
  • Aurora sighting notifications
  • Configurable alert thresholds
  • User-submitted aurora photos
  • Real-time observation map
  • Kp-index and solar wind data
  • Premium version with advanced features
Features
Read full description

Aurora notification app with observation reports. Finally available for iOS. This aurora notification app shows notifications when it may be possible to see the northern lights (aurora borealis / australis)! It provides configurable thresholds for local aurora probability, Kp-index (Hp30), solar wind parameters (Bz/Bt) and Kp-level forecast for the evening. It also allows you to be alerted when other app users nearby have seen the aurora light display. For the alert feature to work, other app users register aurora reports when they are successful hunting and get to see the aurora light display. This has proven to be quite successful. Many of the app users also upload pictures of northern lights when they see them, and in this app you can see these pictures. You can also see dots on a 3d-globe animation showing where people have just observed the light show. There are users in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand who regularly report their observations and upload pictures. Although the chances are greater if you live in Alaska, northern Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the southern tip of New Zealand etc, there are also regular opportunities in places like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington, Montana, Michigan, Chicago, New York, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the Baltics etc. The premium version which can be bought within the app itself offers some more technical information and graphs of Kp-index predictions, cloud cover and solar wind parameters - and some hidden features. The app has an associated X account (@aurora_notifier - https://x.com/aurora_notifier) and an Instagram account (@auroranotifierapp - https://www.instagram.com/auroranotifierapp). Consider following those.

Screenshots

The Northern Lights Tracker4 screens
Aurora Notifier3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Northern Lights Tracker at 29% against Aurora Notifier's 0%. The Northern Lights Tracker also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (26 vs 6). Aurora Notifier's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). 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. The Northern Lights Tracker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Aurora Notifier sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Northern Lights Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of The Northern Lights Tracker's written reviews are positive against 0% of Aurora Notifier's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Northern Lights Tracker ships an update every 3 weeks, Aurora Notifier every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
The Northern Lights Tracker versus Aurora Notifier: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Northern Lights TrackerAurora Notifier
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (26 ratings) — better4.5 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews28.6% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings26 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size78 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWeijie LiNaturfakta AS

Customer experience

The Northern Lights Tracker

All ratings26 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral3.8%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive28.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative71.4%

Aurora Notifier

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

The Northern Lights Tracker

Subscriptions2
  • Aurora PRO$3.997 Days
  • Aurora PRO3 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Donation$1.99
2 purchases

Aurora Notifier

One-time2
  • Premium upgrade$2.99
  • Premium$3.99

Questions

Is The Northern Lights Tracker free?
The Northern Lights Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Aurora Notifier free?
Aurora Notifier is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The Northern Lights Tracker or Aurora Notifier?
The Northern Lights Tracker is rated higher. The Northern Lights Tracker averages 4.8 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Aurora Notifier averages 4.5 from 6 ratings.
Do The Northern Lights Tracker or Aurora Notifier have ads?
Neither The Northern Lights Tracker nor Aurora Notifier shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Northern Lights Tracker or Aurora Notifier?
The Northern Lights Tracker ships an update every 3 weeks, and Aurora Notifier every 5 days. Most recently, The Northern Lights Tracker was updated on September 15, 2026 and Aurora Notifier on September 13, 2026.

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