# Step's Aurora Guide vs Northern Lights Tracker

Step's Aurora Guide and Northern Lights Tracker both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 61% of Northern Lights Tracker's written reviews are positive against 14% of Step's Aurora Guide's. Northern Lights Tracker also leads on device support (4 vs 1). Step's Aurora Guide's advantage is chart position (#128 vs unranked). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Step's Aurora Guide sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Northern Lights Tracker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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 — 4.6 for Step's Aurora Guide against 4.6 for Northern Lights Tracker. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 107 and 185 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 14% of Step's Aurora Guide's written reviews are positive against 61% of Northern Lights Tracker's.

Step's Aurora Guide ships an update fortnightly, Northern Lights Tracker every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Step's Aurora Guide | Northern Lights Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (107 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steps-aurora-guide/id1670143757/reviews) | [4.6 (185 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northern-lights-tracker/id6569249780/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 107 | **185** |
| Positive reviews | 14.3% of reviews | **61.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#128** | — |
| Size | 31 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Steps Aurora Guide](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896765831) | [Mehmet Ali Demir](https://appshunter.io/developer/1631537417) |

## What reviewers say

### Step's Aurora Guide

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

**Currently charting:** #128 Top Free · Weather, #158 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 (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Forecasts & Guide | $6.99 | per month |
| All Forecasts & Guide | $29.99 | per year |


### Northern Lights Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northern-lights-tracker/id6569249780)

This app provides real-time predictions and forecasts for the aurora borealis using NOAA space weather data. It helps users find the best viewing locations and times, offering smart alerts and interactive maps for an optimal aurora hunting experience.

**Highlights:** Real-time aurora probability, NOAA-powered KP index, Interactive global aurora maps, Best viewing location recommendations, Space weather data monitoring, Smart aurora alerts, Apple Watch integration

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| week | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| month | $5.99 | per month |
| year | $34.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for tracking trips
- 👍 Good for Aurora tracking
- 👍 Accurate for location
- 👍 Helps plan trips
- 👍 User-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Not free, useless without payment
- 🐛 App crashes
- 💸 Misleading pricing, charged unexpectedly
- 🐛 Notifications are bogus/inaccurate
- 🐛 Enable Notifications shuts off

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes out of nowhere
- Phone part of app shows 0%
- Enable Notifications continuously shuts itself OFF
- Data seems outdated and freezes
- App crashes in Norway

**Requested features**

- Add widgets
- Correlate probability to times
- Show probability over time (next 24 hours)
- Allow setting threshold for 'good chance' notifications
- Show readings for around the world


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Step's Aurora Guide free?

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

### Is Northern Lights Tracker free?

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

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

Step's Aurora Guide and Northern Lights Tracker are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 107 and 185 ratings respectively.

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

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

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

Step's Aurora Guide ships an update fortnightly, and Northern Lights Tracker every 4 weeks. Most recently, Step's Aurora Guide was updated on September 15, 2026 and Northern Lights Tracker on September 23, 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.*