Comparison

Satellite Watcher vs Satellite Chasers

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

Head to head
About

Satellite Watcher

Track and identify visible satellites, stars, and constellations. Explore detailed information about celestial objects and record your sightings. Perfect for astronomy enthusiasts and educational purposes.

Highlights
  • Track 150 brightest satellites
  • View satellite times and locations
  • Record satellite sightings
  • Explore 9000 visible stars
  • Identify major constellations
  • Detailed object information
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

This app tracks the 150 brightest man-made objects in space, which can be seen by the human eye. Use it to see the time and location such objects can be seen. It also lets you record when you saw each satellite. You can also use this app to explore all 9000 stars visible to the human eye, as well as major constellations. Educational notes are displayed for satellites, constellations and well-known stars. Some of the app's features: * Preview mode lets you browse through future satellite passes, displaying the magnitude, path and time the satellite will appear * Real-Time mode shows you what is in the sky now, with the current location, magnitude and path for each satellite. If multiple satellites are in the sky, it shows them all simultaneously * Tap on a satellite's name to view detailed information including country of origin, launch date, magnitude (brightness), and more * Tap on a constellation's name to view its educational notes * The app lets you keep track of which satellites you've seen and when. You can tell it you see a satellite now, or enter a past sighting * The device detects your location automatically, but you can also enter the latitude and longitude yourself, or your U.S. zip code * Choose which satellite you want to scan for, or all satellites * Choose how many days into the future to scan for satellites, up to 30 days * Choose the minimum elevation for a satellites to be shown * Choose the minimum magnitude (brightness) for a satellites to be shown * Works offline (you should go online to download satellite data once every couple of days) * Displays weather warnings if clouds will be present (in the U.S. only) * Works on iPhone and iPad If you like science and astronomy, you will have great fun spotting satellites! All you need is a clear night with no moon. For best results, choose a location away from city lights. In the beginning, focus on the brighter satellites passing directly overhead. Satellites are visible after sunset (for about an hour) and before sunrise (also for about an hour) when the sky is dark and satellites reflect the sun's light. This is a great educational activity for kids.

About

Satellite Chasers

Explore the cosmos with this app that tracks nearly 50,000 orbital objects using augmented reality. Discover when satellites will be overhead, read space news, and customize their appearance. Compete with friends on a leaderboard and personalize your viewing experience.

Highlights
  • Track 50,000+ orbital objects
  • Augmented Reality satellite viewing
  • Real-time satellite addition
  • Overhead pass notifications
  • Integrated space news
  • Satellite customization
  • Leaderboard and friend system
Features
Read full description

Satellite Chasers lets you explore the real satellite catalog from your phone, including active satellites, rocket bodies, debris, and newly added objects soon after launch. Point your phone at the sky in AR to see what is overhead, or explore satellites over the globe. Track satellites, launches, predicted decays, and conjunctions, which are close approaches between objects in orbit that may indicate potential collision risk. Features include: - Track tens of thousands of objects cataloged in Earth orbit - Use AR to see satellites overhead through your phone’s camera - Play SatSpot, a satellite pointing challenge where your aim determines your check-in points - Get notifications for predicted decays, conjunctions, launches, and newly added satellites - Search launches and see what flew together - Read space news connected to satellites, launches, and orbital activity - View satellite images, descriptions, radio/transmitter data from SatNOGS, and select NASA 3D models - Customize filters to show the satellites you care about - Check in with nearby satellites, earn points, and compete on leaderboards - Favorite satellites and organize your personal Orbit of friends Whether you are a space nerd, ham radio operator, sky watcher, or just curious about what is passing overhead, Satellite Chasers gives you a playful way to explore orbit in real time.

Screenshots

Satellite Watcher4 screens
Satellite Chasers4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Satellite Chasers at 4.5 against Satellite Watcher's 4.0. Satellite Watcher's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Satellite Chasers sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Satellite Watcher asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Satellite Chasers holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 59 and 26 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Satellite Watcher's written reviews are positive against 75% of Satellite Chasers's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Satellite Watcher ships an update every 2 months, Satellite Chasers every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 29, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Satellite Watcher versus Satellite Chasers: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSatellite WatcherSatellite Chasers
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (59 ratings)4.5 (26 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.2% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings59 — better26
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarwan ShabanAustin Griffith

Customer experience

Satellite Watcher

All ratings59 ratings
Positive76.3%
Neutral6.8%
Negative16.9%
Written reviews126 reviews
Positive76.2%
Neutral9.5%
Negative14.3%

Satellite Chasers

All ratings26 ratings
Positive88.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.5%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral8.3%
Negative16.7%

Bugs and requests

Satellite Watcher

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • App crashes or shows black screen after updates
  • Incompatibility with iOS 11 and newer iOS versions
  • Ground plot graph stopped working
  • Star chart misalignment with actual sky
  • Incomplete satellite database compared to visible satellites
Show 3 more
  • Difficulty changing time to predict future passes
  • Only displays portion of sky in some cases
  • Text size doesn't remain larger when zooming

Requested features

12 requests
  • Update for iOS 11+ compatibility
  • Apple Watch support
  • iPad native version
  • Alarm/notification for upcoming satellite passes
  • Ability to select multiple satellites to track
Show 7 more
  • Daylight pass visibility for bright satellites
  • Visible magnitude threshold settings
  • Database or link to special satellites (ISS, HST)
  • Larger buttons for easier interaction
  • Better user tutorial or manual
  • Reminder feature for upcoming passes
  • Include 'tonight' in days to scan option

Satellite Chasers

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Satellite Watcher

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Satellite Chasers

One-time2
  • Remove Ads$1.99
  • Remove Ads & Buy Me A Coffee$4.99

Questions

Is Satellite Watcher free?
Satellite Watcher is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Satellite Chasers free?
Satellite Chasers is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Satellite Watcher or Satellite Chasers?
Satellite Chasers is rated higher. Satellite Watcher averages 4.0 out of 5 from 59 ratings, while Satellite Chasers averages 4.5 from 26 ratings.
Do Satellite Watcher or Satellite Chasers have ads?
Neither Satellite Watcher nor Satellite Chasers shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Satellite Watcher or Satellite Chasers?
Satellite Watcher ships an update every 2 months, and Satellite Chasers every 5 weeks. Most recently, Satellite Watcher was updated on July 29, 2026 and Satellite Chasers on September 24, 2026.

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