# Sputnik! vs SatChannels

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sputnik! | SatChannels |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (731 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sputnik/id393001070/reviews)** | [3.8 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/satchannels/id1488795908/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **731** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **92.2% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 35 MB | 145 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Applicate Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/299117183) | [Daniel Nowendsztern](https://appshunter.io/developer/1028876626) |

## 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


### SatChannels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/satchannels/id1488795908)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*