# Sputnik! vs SatPal

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sputnik! | SatPal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (731 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sputnik/id393001070/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **731** | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 35 MB | 79 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **9.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Applicate Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/299117183) | [F.T.A. Communication Technologies S.A.R.L.](https://appshunter.io/developer/448195232) |

## What reviewers say

### Sputnik!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sputnik/id393001070)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Go ad-free | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate satellite tracking
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🔭 Supports tracking of various satellites (ISS, Hubble, Starlink)
- ⏰ Provides countdown and reminders for sightings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App not working/crashing for some users
- 🔍 Unclear information about satellite visibility (e.g. what 'enters Earth's shadow' means)
- 🔧 Difficulty updating satellite data
- 🙈 Dark mode text visibility issues

**Reported bugs**

- App reporting 'No Sightings' for all categories
- Null check errors when selecting satellite sightings
- Issues with location settings and data updates

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/satpal/id1136634702)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sputnik! free?

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

### Is SatPal free?

SatPal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Sputnik! or SatPal have ads?

Neither Sputnik! nor SatPal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sputnik! or SatPal?

Sputnik! ships an update every 5 months, and SatPal every 3 months. Most recently, Sputnik! was updated on October 13, 2026 and SatPal on September 7, 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.*