# Sputnik! vs NASA SpaceTime

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sputnik! | NASA SpaceTime |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (731 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sputnik/id393001070/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nasa-spacetime/id1553555795/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **731** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 92.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 35 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Applicate Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/299117183) | [Jet Propulsion Laboratory](https://appshunter.io/developer/347075767) |

## 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


### NASA SpaceTime

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nasa-spacetime/id1553555795)

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.

**Highlights:** Mars time display, Earth time display, Rover mission schedules, Operational meeting views, Siri integration

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sputnik! free?

Sputnik! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is NASA SpaceTime free?

NASA SpaceTime is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Sputnik! or NASA SpaceTime?

NASA SpaceTime is rated higher. Sputnik! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 731 ratings, while NASA SpaceTime averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Sputnik! or NASA SpaceTime have ads?

Neither Sputnik! nor NASA SpaceTime shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sputnik! or NASA SpaceTime?

Sputnik! ships an update every 5 months, and NASA SpaceTime every 4 weeks. Most recently, Sputnik! was updated on October 15, 2026 and NASA SpaceTime on October 3, 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.*