Sputnik! vs Iridium SatFinder
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 *
Iridium SatFinder
Track the visibility of Iridium satellites overhead. Identify which satellite is likely serving local Iridium connections. This tool is provided as a service and is not affiliated with Iridium.
- Satellite visibility tracking
- Local connection satellite identification
- Iridium satellite data
- Real-time overhead satellite view
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See which Iridium satellites are visible overhead and which one is probably serving as connection for any locally Iridium connections. This application is in no way affiliated with Iridium and is provided as a service by Blue Sky Network.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sputnik! at 92% against Iridium SatFinder's 29%. Sputnik! also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.5) and update cadence (every 5 months vs every 57 months). Iridium SatFinder's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ads, 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. Iridium SatFinder asks for nothing beyond the download.
Sputnik! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sputnik! has 732 ratings behind it against 6, 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 29% of Iridium SatFinder's.
Sputnik! ships an update every 5 months, Iridium SatFinder every 57 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sputnik! | Iridium SatFinder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (732 ratings) — better | 2.5 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 92.2% of reviews — better | 28.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 732 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 57 months |
| 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 | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 0 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Applicate Ltd | Blue Sky Network |
Customer experience
Sputnik!
Iridium SatFinder
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
Iridium SatFinder
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Sputnik!
- Go ad-free$0.99
Iridium SatFinder
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Sputnik! free?
Is Iridium SatFinder free?
Which has better reviews, Sputnik! or Iridium SatFinder?
Do Sputnik! or Iridium SatFinder have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sputnik! or Iridium SatFinder?
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