Sputnik! vs SatChannels
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 *
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.
- Channel information
- Satellite data
- Offline access
- Save favorites
- Location services
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Sputnik! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SatChannels asks for nothing beyond the download.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Sputnik! | SatChannels |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (731 ratings) — better | 3.8 (12 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 92.2% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 731 — better | 12 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 11 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 145 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Applicate Ltd | Daniel Nowendsztern |
Customer experience
Sputnik!
SatChannels
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
Sputnik!
- Go ad-free$0.99
SatChannels
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Sputnik! free?
Is SatChannels free?
Which has better reviews, Sputnik! or SatChannels?
Do Sputnik! or SatChannels have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sputnik! or SatChannels?
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