# Sputnik! vs Satellite Transponders

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sputnik! at 92% against Satellite Transponders's 58%. Sputnik! also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). Satellite Transponders's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sputnik! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Satellite Transponders sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sputnik! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 732 and 292 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Sputnik!'s written reviews are positive against 58% of Satellite Transponders's.

Sputnik! ships an update every 5 months, Satellite Transponders every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sputnik! | Satellite Transponders |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (732 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sputnik/id393001070/reviews)** | [4.3 (292 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/satellite-transponders/id488579989/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **732** | 292 |
| Positive reviews | **92.2% of reviews** | 57.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 35 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Applicate Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/299117183) | [Yuriy Kvasha](https://appshunter.io/developer/488579992) |

## 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


### Satellite Transponders

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/satellite-transponders/id488579989)

Access a comprehensive database of global TV satellites and their parameters. Easily search for channels, providers, and satellite information, and manage your favorites. An optional professional version offers advanced features like augmented reality and smart searching.

**Highlights:** Global satellite database, Search by channel, satellite, radio, provider, Display channel, radio, provider details, Frequency, polarization, FEC, Symbol Rate display, Favorites list, Augmented reality (Pro version), Smart searching with sound (Pro version)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional package | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works well
- 🚀 Useful and informative
- 💡 Great for satellite setup
- 🔍 Helpful for finding channels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes on certain devices
- 🤔 Complicated to use
- 💰 Requires paid upgrade for full functionality
- 📚 Outdated satellite/channel information

**Reported bugs**

- Compass not working on iOS 9 devices
- Incorrect transponder frequencies listed for some channels
- Satellite search not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to filter by satellite type (C-band, Ku-band, etc.)
- Option to sort channels by frequency
- Satellite coverage maps for current location
- HD channel identification


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sputnik! free?

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

### Is Satellite Transponders free?

Satellite Transponders is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sputnik! or Satellite Transponders?

Sputnik! is rated higher. Sputnik! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 732 ratings, while Satellite Transponders averages 4.3 from 292 ratings.

### Do Sputnik! or Satellite Transponders have ads?

Neither Sputnik! nor Satellite Transponders shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sputnik! or Satellite Transponders?

Sputnik! ships an update every 5 months, and Satellite Transponders every 4 months. Most recently, Sputnik! was updated on October 21, 2026 and Satellite Transponders on October 23, 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.*