Sputnik! vs NASA SpaceTime
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
Read full descriptionHide 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 *
NASA SpaceTime
Track the current time on Mars for NASA's Perseverance and Curiosity rovers. View mission event schedules and operational meetings. Supports Siri integration for quick time queries.
- Mars time display
- Earth time display
- Rover mission schedules
- Operational meeting views
- Siri integration
Read full descriptionHide full description
Display Mars and Earth time for the NASA Perseverance and Curiosity Mars rovers. View the schedule of events and operational meetings in support of these missions. Ask Siri: "What Sol is it on Mars?"
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NASA SpaceTime at none against Sputnik!'s 1. NASA SpaceTime also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 5 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Sputnik!'s advantage is ratings volume (731 vs 6). On price, review sentiment, ads 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. NASA SpaceTime asks for nothing beyond the download.
NASA SpaceTime holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sputnik! has 731 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 100% of NASA SpaceTime's.
Sputnik! ships an update every 5 months, NASA SpaceTime every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sputnik! | NASA SpaceTime |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (731 ratings) | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 92.2% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 731 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 38 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Applicate Ltd | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
Customer experience
Sputnik!
NASA SpaceTime
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
NASA SpaceTime
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Sputnik!
- Go ad-free$0.99
NASA SpaceTime
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Sputnik! free?
Is NASA SpaceTime free?
Which has better reviews, Sputnik! or NASA SpaceTime?
Do Sputnik! or NASA SpaceTime have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sputnik! or NASA SpaceTime?
Other comparisons
