Sputnik! vs SatPal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sputnik!
Track the International Space Station and bright satellites with precise timing and location data. Get second-by-second countdowns, set reminders, and view satellite paths in the night sky. Supports offline calculations and sharing sightings.
- Accurate satellite and ISS sighting predictions
- Starlink satellite train detection
- Second-by-second countdowns
- Sighting reminders
- Compass direction and elevation display
- Night sky path visualization
- Offline calculations
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Sputnik! is an easy to use tool for predicting when the International Space Station will pass by your location or when a bright satellite will be visible in the skies above. Sputnik! features: - Predictions of satellite and ISS sightings accurate to the second. - Detection of Starlink satellite trains. - Second by second countdown to the satellite sighting. - Set reminders of upcoming satellite sightings. - Displays compass direction and elevation for your device to easily find the part of the sky where the sighting will occur (requires capable device). - Rotate your device to landscape orientation to show exactly where the satellite will pass in the night sky. - Share sightings via Twitter, Facebook, Mail, Messages and others. - Automatic download of up to date satellite orbital data. - Offline calculations, no need to be connected to the internet once orbital data has been downloaded. - Input your location automatically by GPS, select from a map or enter coordinates manually. - Save your favorite places for easy access. - Audio cues for the last seconds before the satellite passes by. Sputnik! on Apple Watch: - Easily find the next and last sighting at your current location. * Sputnik! is ad-supported *
SatPal
This app assists satellite TV installers in aligning satellite dishes, measuring signal quality, and generating detailed installation reports. It connects wirelessly to a controller device to provide comprehensive tools for professional installations.
- Satellite finder for accurate dish alignment
- DVB-S/S2 signal meter with SNR, MER, BER
- Full spectrum capture
- Installation reporting with equipment inventory
- Unicable II LNB/Multiswitch programmer
- Wireless connection to SatPal Controller
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Inverto’s SatPal™ is an exciting new development assisting installers to guarantee the quality of their antenna installations, manage their installations and generate full audit details of them – all using a SatPal™ Controller and the intuitive and easy to use SatPal™ App. The SatPal™ App connects with a SatPal™ Controller device wirelessly and provides the following main features: - Sat Finder – helps you to align your satellite dish antenna to the right satellite easily and accurately. - Sat Meter – measures DVB-S/S2 satellite signals from any Universal or Unicable LNB type including SNR, MER, BER, power level and real time full spectrum capture. - Install & Report – helps aligning the satellite dish to the wanted satellite and records the signal quality, equipment inventory and location of the satellite installation and allows to send a detailed report by email so installers and DTH operators can keep track of their field installations. - Unicable II Programmer – allows to edit and create configuration files or update the firmware of Inverto Unicable II (dCSS) LNB or Multiswitch products. Visit www.inverto.tv for more information about Inverto’s SatPal™ Controller device. Imported notice: The SatPal™ app requires a SatPal™ Controller to be connected wirelessly in order to provide the functionality listed above.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SatPal at none against Sputnik!'s 1. SatPal also leads on iOS requirement (9.3 vs 14.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Sputnik! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SatPal asks for nothing beyond the download.
Sputnik! ships an update every 5 months, SatPal every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sputnik! | SatPal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (731 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.2% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 731 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 9.3 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 79 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Applicate Ltd | F.T.A. Communication Technologies S.A.R.L. |
Customer experience
Sputnik!
SatPal
Bugs and requests
Sputnik!
Reported bugs
3 issues- App reporting 'No Sightings' for all categories
- Null check errors when selecting satellite sightings
- Issues with location settings and data updates
Requested features
4 requests- Add support for more satellite types
- Improve sky chart visualization and orientation
- Provide filtering options (e.g. by elevation, magnitude)
- Implement automatic data updates
SatPal
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Sputnik!
- Go ad-free$0.99
SatPal
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Sputnik! free?
Is SatPal free?
Do Sputnik! or SatPal have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sputnik! or SatPal?
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