Comparison

Sputnik! vs On

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

On

This tool assists amateur radio operators with managing on-air nets and check-ins. It offers real-time messaging, email integration, and detailed operator information retrieval. The app supports multiple simultaneous sessions and configurable displays for efficient communication and tracking.

Highlights
  • Real-time net check-in tracking
  • Instant messaging (AIM) sessions
  • Integrated email client
  • Configurable information displays
  • QRZ/QRZCQ call sign lookup
  • WebSDR audio streaming
  • QRZ Logbook integration
Read full description

On-Air Net Scraper "Personal" Pro is an iPhone/iPad/MacOS silicon App providing a wide range of features for Amateur Radio operators (Hams). Key features include NetLogger Amateur Radio On-Air Nets, Check-Ins and multiple Almost Instant Message (AIM) sessions in real-time data awareness. AIM pass key automatic email request with single button click resulting in immediate pass key information reply. Full integrated Email client for yet another method for Hams to carry out conversations. Multiple tabbed displays allowing user to track unlimited number of On-Air Net Check-Ins at one time. User configurable information displays to included viewing detailed Ham information within Check-In views. Near real-time AIM client text message send and receive. Searching and viewing Past NetLogger Nets and Check-Ins. Monitor mode so users can be aware of NetLogger Check-In "lurkers". Simultaneous QRZ and QRZCQ login is supported facilitating Call Sign lookup and Ham information retrieval. Easy, click to display NetLogger Nets, Check-Ins Call Sign and operator status information, not requiring QRZ/CQ accounts. Multi-screen displays to included improved 2-way and 3-way split screens provide simultaneous displays of Check-Ins, AIM, AIM and Net Scraper Message Exchange current listing data along with WebSDR viewing and listening. PERSISTENT WebSDR radio LIVE audio listenings while simultaneously viewing multiple Net Check-In views. Seamlessly integrates with On-Air Net Scraper Desktop Server WebSocket Interface supporting private Internet chat sessions between On-Air Net Scraper ME clients. JS8Call/WSJTX full participation in digital radio REAL-TIME texting when using NetBird VPN or when paired with On-Air Net Scraper's Message Exchange (ME) Server. Autoload favorite NetLogger nets. Callsign search both NetLogger Active and Past net listing, including improved automatic continuous search and displaying of matched nets. QRZ Logbook insert/update/delete. Supports On-Device authentication and Two-Factor authentication in addition to encrypted secure storage of sensitive data and app access security. JS8Call dynamic frequency adjustment.

Screenshots

Sputnik!4 screens
On4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sputnik! at 92% against On's 50%. Sputnik! also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (732 vs 13). On's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sputnik! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. On asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sputnik! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sputnik! has 732 ratings behind it against 13, 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 50% of On's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sputnik! ships an update every 5 months, On monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Sputnik! versus On: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSputnik!On
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (732 ratings) — better4.4 (13 ratings)
Positive reviews92.2% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings732 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB30 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperApplicate LtdChristopher Robson

Customer experience

Sputnik!

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

On

All ratings13 ratings
Positive84.6%
Neutral7.7%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative37.5%

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

On

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Sputnik!

One-time1
  • Go ad-free$0.99
None

On

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sputnik! free?
Sputnik! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is On free?
On is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Sputnik! or On?
Sputnik! is rated higher. Sputnik! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 732 ratings, while On averages 4.4 from 13 ratings.
Do Sputnik! or On have ads?
Neither Sputnik! nor On shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sputnik! or On?
Sputnik! ships an update every 5 months, and On monthly. Most recently, Sputnik! was updated on October 21, 2026 and On on October 24, 2026.

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