# Sputnik! vs ISS Tracker

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ISS Tracker at none against Sputnik!'s 1. ISS Tracker also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months). Sputnik!'s advantage is ratings volume (731 vs 17) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Sputnik! against 4.7 for ISS Tracker. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sputnik! has 731 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Sputnik!'s written reviews are positive against 100% of ISS Tracker's.

Sputnik! ships an update every 5 months, ISS Tracker weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sputnik! | ISS Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (731 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sputnik/id393001070/reviews) | [4.7 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iss-tracker-space-station/id6740058138/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **731** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | 92.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 35 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Applicate Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/299117183) | [Lucent Enterprises Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1448644115) |

## 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


### ISS Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iss-tracker-space-station/id6740058138)

Monitor the International Space Station's live position and vital telemetry data in real-time. Track its orbit, altitude, velocity, and internal environmental systems. Ideal for space enthusiasts and students interested in space exploration.

**Highlights:** Real-time ISS position tracking, Interactive world map, Altitude and velocity data, Comprehensive telemetry monitoring, Environmental and power system data, Dark mode support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sputnik! free?

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

### Is ISS Tracker free?

ISS Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Sputnik! or ISS Tracker?

Sputnik! and ISS Tracker are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 731 and 17 ratings respectively.

### Do Sputnik! or ISS Tracker have ads?

Neither Sputnik! nor ISS Tracker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sputnik! or ISS Tracker?

Sputnik! ships an update every 5 months, and ISS Tracker weekly. Most recently, Sputnik! was updated on October 15, 2026 and ISS Tracker on October 16, 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.*