Comparison

Space Telescope App vs Space Station Tracker

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

Head to head
About

Space Telescope App

Explore the universe with real-time updates and stunning visuals from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Engage with expert insights, join community discussions, and test your knowledge with interactive quizzes. Discover distant galaxies and unlock the secrets of the early universe.

Highlights
  • Live mission updates
  • Breathtaking image gallery
  • Expert Q&A with astronomers
  • Community discussions
  • Interactive space quizzes
  • 3D solar system explorer
  • Exclusive wallpapers
Features
Read full description

Space Telescope is an astronomy app for people who actually go outside and look up. See what the James Webb Space Telescope is observing right now. Decide whether tonight is worth staying out for. Catch the next visible ISS pass over your own location, and follow the rocket launches coming up. WHAT WEBB IS LOOKING AT, RIGHT NOW Webb's current target, science category, proposal, instruments and scheduled times, refreshed every five minutes while the view is open. Tap through to the proposal or the full observation schedule. A REAL PLAN FOR METEOR NIGHT Most meteor apps hand you a peak date. This one tells you what you will actually see. Set your location and how dark your sky is, and get an honest meteors-per-hour range, the best viewing window, where to look, how much the Moon will wash out, and what 30, 60 or 90 minutes outside is likely to be worth. Two alerts that matter: a heads-up the evening before, and a nudge when your window opens. Cloud cover is not included, so check the weather before you commit. THE ISS, OVER YOUR HOUSE Live position, altitude, velocity and orbit, plus crew, expeditions, dockings and visiting vehicles. Seven days of passes for your location with quality, direction, peak elevation and duration - set a 10-minute alert or drop the pass straight into your calendar. LAUNCH DAY Upcoming launches with live countdowns, status, provider, rocket, pad, launch window and webcast link. One tap for a reminder 15 minutes before liftoff. GALLERIES WORTH SCROLLING Imagery and mission guides for James Webb, Hubble, Chandra, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, Artemis, Mars and the ISS. Follow Roman's countdown, instruments and journey to L2. Pinch to zoom, save, share, like and comment. Turn on alerts only for the galleries you care about. PICTURE OF THE DAY NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day, image or video, with the full expert explanation and an optional daily alert. AND WHEN YOU WANT MORE - Tonight Sky: sunrise, sunset, Moon phase, illumination and twilight - Space Weather: Kp index, solar wind, aurora probability and active alerts - Cosmic Calendar: meteor showers, eclipses and other sky events - Exoplanets: discovery method and year, distance, orbit, mass, radius, temperature, host star and habitable-zone marker - Community astrophotography: post your own shots with gear and conditions - Space wallpapers for your phone - Quizzes, points, levels and global leaderboards - Ask an Astronomer, and live chat rooms in 10 languages - Full interface in English and Spanish PREMIUM Space Telescope is free, with ads. Premium removes every ad, unlocks the premium wallpaper collection and adds a gold avatar ring. Choose a monthly or annual subscription, or pay once for lifetime access, which also grants 1,000,000 points and Diamond level straight away. Subscriptions are charged to your Apple Account and renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings. Whether you follow Webb every day, plan a Perseids or Geminids watch, photograph the night sky, teach astronomy, or just want to know when the ISS will cross overhead, Space Telescope keeps the useful details in one place. Space Telescope is an independent astronomy app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA, ESA, STScI, SpaceX or any launch provider. Data and imagery are credited to their respective sources. Privacy policy: https://jameswebbtracker.com/privacy-policy Terms of use (Apple standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Space Station Tracker

Follow the International Space Station's live location on a globe and get alerts for visible flyovers at your exact location. Features a compass view to help you spot it in the sky.

Highlights
  • Real-time ISS location tracking
  • Globe view with orbital trajectory
  • Upcoming visible flyover alerts
  • GPS-based viewing calculations
  • Compass view for sky spotting
  • Azimuth and elevation details
Features
Read full description

Track the International Space Station in real time and see upcoming visible flyovers for your location. ISS Tracker helps you understand where the ISS is now, when it will pass overhead, and where to look in the sky. It is designed to be simple, useful, and privacy-first. LIVE GLOBE VIEW See the current location of the ISS and its orbital path on an interactive globe. The app displays approximately one full orbit and updates the station’s position with live telemetry, including latitude, longitude, altitude, and speed in miles or kilometers. UPCOMING VISIBLE FLYOVERS Find upcoming ISS flyovers based on your location. Viewing opportunities are calculated using your location and estimated visibility, helping you identify passes that may be visible to the naked eye. FLYOVER COMPASS VIEW Use the compass view to know where to look. Each flyover includes azimuth, compass direction, and elevation details for the start, maximum elevation, and end of the pass. PRIVACY-FIRST LOCATION USE Your location is used to show your position relative to the ISS and calculate upcoming flyovers. Location is requested only while using the app, and is never sent to third parties. The app does not use analytics, advertising, or tracking. ISS Tracker is built for skywatchers, space enthusiasts, educators, students, and anyone who wants a clear way to follow the International Space Station. Questions or feedback? Contact support@pacificaconsulting.io

Screenshots

Space Telescope App4 screens
Space Station Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Space Station Tracker at 4.6 against Space Telescope App's 4.0. Space Station Tracker also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). Space Telescope App's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 20 months) and ratings volume (30 vs 5). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Space Telescope App sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Space Station Tracker asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Space Station Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Space Telescope App has 30 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Space Telescope App's written reviews are positive against 50% of Space Station Tracker's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Space Telescope App ships an update every 10 days, Space Station Tracker every 20 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Space Telescope App versus Space Station Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpace Telescope AppSpace Station Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (30 ratings)4.6 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings30 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 20 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size104 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKAKHA GIORGASHVILIJaimeson Bilodeau

Customer experience

Space Telescope App

All ratings30 ratings
Positive73.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative50.0%

Space Station Tracker

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Space Telescope App

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Ad-Free Plan$4.991 Month
  • Ad-Free Annual Access$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Premium$2.99
  • Buy 1M Points$99.99
None

Space Station Tracker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Space Telescope App free?
Space Telescope App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Space Station Tracker free?
Space Station Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Space Telescope App or Space Station Tracker?
Space Station Tracker is rated higher. Space Telescope App averages 4.0 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while Space Station Tracker averages 4.6 from 5 ratings.
Do Space Telescope App or Space Station Tracker have ads?
Space Telescope App shows ads; Space Station Tracker does not.
Which is updated more often, Space Telescope App or Space Station Tracker?
Space Telescope App ships an update every 10 days, and Space Station Tracker every 20 months. Most recently, Space Telescope App was updated on October 7, 2026 and Space Station Tracker on October 4, 2026.

Other comparisons