# Storm Sniffer vs Tracer

The clearest difference is monetization model: Tracer at freemium against Storm Sniffer's subscription. Tracer also leads on update cadence (daily vs monthly) and review sentiment (100% vs 76%). Storm Sniffer's advantage is ratings volume (120 vs 1) and chart position (#29 vs #166). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Storm Sniffer sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Tracer 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 — 3.9 for Storm Sniffer against 4.0 for Tracer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Storm Sniffer has 120 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Storm Sniffer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Tracer's.

Storm Sniffer ships an update monthly, Tracer daily. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Storm Sniffer | Tracer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (120 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storm-sniffer-packet-capture/id1610958307/reviews) | **[4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tracer-inspect-https-traffic/id6788840279/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **120** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 76.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | **#29** | #166 |
| Size | 47 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hunan Storm Technology Co.,Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1492666305) | [Ryan Kotzebue](https://appshunter.io/developer/832112887) |

## What reviewers say

### Storm Sniffer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storm-sniffer-packet-capture/id1610958307)

**Currently charting:** #29 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #198 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Capture and inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic directly on your iOS device. Debug network issues, rewrite requests and responses in real-time, and replay HTTP requests. Offers advanced scripting capabilities for enhanced scalability.

**Highlights:** Packet capture via local VPN, HTTP/HTTPS request/response inspection, Real-time request/response rewriting, HTTP request replay with cron support, JavaScript scripting for scalability

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Auto-renew VIP | $1.99 | per month |
| Quarter Auto-renew VIP | $3.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual Auto-renew VIP | $12.49 | per year |
| Packet Capture - LiftTime | $2.99 | one-time |
| Full Unlock | $14.99 | one-time |
| Full Unlock | $22.99 | one-time |
| Full Unlock | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🔒 Robust security features
- 💡 Innovative functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Stability issues and crashes
- 🔒 Privacy concerns around data collection
- 💰 Paywall for core features
- 🌐 Compatibility problems with older devices/OS

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Subscription/account issues
- Incompatibility with certain devices/OS versions

**Requested features**

- Add support for web server monitoring
- Integrate VPN functionality
- Improve HTTPS traffic capture
- Provide more customization options


### Tracer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tracer-inspect-https-traffic/id6788840279)

**Currently charting:** #166 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Monitor all network requests your iPhone makes in real-time, locally on your device. Identify third-party services, inspect request details, and understand where your data is going without it ever leaving your phone.

**Highlights:** Real-time network request monitoring, Inspect headers, bodies, and timing, Identify third-party services, Visualize server locations on a globe, Local data processing for privacy, No account required

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro access | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro access | $59.99 | per year |
| Pro access | $199.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Storm Sniffer free?

Storm Sniffer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Tracer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Storm Sniffer or Tracer?

Tracer is rated higher. Storm Sniffer averages 3.9 out of 5 from 120 ratings, while Tracer averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Storm Sniffer or Tracer have ads?

Neither Storm Sniffer nor Tracer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Storm Sniffer or Tracer?

Storm Sniffer ships an update monthly, and Tracer daily. Most recently, Storm Sniffer was updated on October 30, 2026 and Tracer on October 28, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Storm Sniffer or Tracer?

Storm Sniffer currently peaks at #29 in the App Store charts, and Tracer at #166. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*