Comparison

Sputnik! vs SatChannels

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

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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 *

About

SatChannels

Discover detailed information about TV channels and satellites. Save favorites for offline access and utilize location services to find satellite data like azimuth and elevation.

Highlights
  • Channel information
  • Satellite data
  • Offline access
  • Save favorites
  • Location services
Features
Read full description

Find all the information about channels and satellites. Save channels and satellites to check their information later or when you are offline. LocatIon is required to get satellite's information like azimuth, elevation, distance...

Screenshots

Sputnik!4 screens
SatChannels4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sputnik! at 92% against SatChannels's 0%. Sputnik! also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.8) and ads (none vs shown). SatChannels's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement 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. Sputnik! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SatChannels asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sputnik! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sputnik! has 731 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Sputnik!'s written reviews are positive against 0% of SatChannels's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sputnik! ships an update every 5 months, SatChannels every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Sputnik! versus SatChannels: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSputnik!SatChannels
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (731 ratings) — better3.8 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews92.2% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings731 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 11 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationAd-supportedAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB145 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperApplicate LtdDaniel Nowendsztern

Customer experience

Sputnik!

All ratings731 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral2.6%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews243 reviews
Positive92.2%
Neutral1.2%
Negative6.6%

SatChannels

All ratings12 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral8.3%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

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

SatChannels

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Sputnik!

One-time1
  • Go ad-free$0.99
None

SatChannels

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sputnik! free?
Sputnik! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SatChannels free?
SatChannels is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Sputnik! or SatChannels?
Sputnik! is rated higher. Sputnik! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 731 ratings, while SatChannels averages 3.8 from 12 ratings.
Do Sputnik! or SatChannels have ads?
SatChannels shows ads; Sputnik! does not.
Which is updated more often, Sputnik! or SatChannels?
Sputnik! ships an update every 5 months, and SatChannels every 11 months. Most recently, Sputnik! was updated on September 30, 2026 and SatChannels on September 24, 2026.

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