Comparison

Sputnik! vs Adaptive HeadTrack

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

Adaptive HeadTrack

Read full description

Adaptive HeadTrack focuses on making head tracking feel more natural. Tracking gain changes continuously with head-turn speed. Fine movements use a lower gain for precise control, while faster turns become more responsive. This reduces the need for heavy Smooth and Dead Zone settings, helping cut lag and the start-stop feeling around center. Adaptive HeadTrack uses the TrueDepth camera on iPhone and iPad for 6DOF tracking and sends motion data over the local network to OpenTrack on a Windows PC. Game compatibility Works with OpenTrack and games that support FreeTrack, TrackIR, or compatible head-tracking protocols, including Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, DCS World, IL-2 Sturmovik, War Thunder, Star Citizen, Elite Dangerous, Euro Truck Simulator 2, American Truck Simulator, Assetto Corsa, Assetto Corsa Competizione, and more. Eye-focus gain control Eye-focus state can also influence tracking gain, giving you another way to adjust tracking without using extra buttons. 240 Hz pose timeline reconstruction TrueDepth input runs at up to 60 Hz. Adaptive HeadTrack reconstructs the pose timeline at up to 240 Hz for smoother motion and better continuity during fast head movement. Tracking stability The tracking pipeline is tuned for small jitter, short input disturbances, and rapid movement while keeping smoothing and dead zones low. Advanced tuning You can adjust adaptive gain, tracking response, smoothing, stability, recenter assistance, eye-focus control, and other tracking parameters directly in the app. Main features - 6DOF TrueDepth head tracking - Adaptive gain based on head-turn speed - Lower reliance on Smooth and Dead Zone - Eye-focus gain control - 240 Hz pose timeline reconstruction - Recenter assistance - Stable tracking under brief disturbances - Advanced parameter tuning - Up to 60 Hz TrueDepth input - Local-network connection to OpenTrack OpenTrack must be installed and configured on the Windows PC before first use. Recommended presets, setup instructions, device recommendations, and the full user guide are available on the Support page.

Screenshots

Sputnik!4 screens
Adaptive HeadTrack4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Sputnik! at 14.0 against Adaptive HeadTrack's 17.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 and Adaptive HeadTrack sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Sputnik! versus Adaptive HeadTrack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSputnik!Adaptive HeadTrack
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (731 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews92.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings731 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperApplicate Ltd超 奚

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

Adaptive HeadTrack

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Sputnik!

One-time1
  • Go ad-free$0.99
2 purchases

Adaptive HeadTrack

One-time2
  • 5-day Free TrialFree
  • Full Unlock$12.99

Questions

Is Sputnik! free?
Sputnik! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Adaptive HeadTrack free?
Adaptive HeadTrack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Sputnik! or Adaptive HeadTrack have ads?
Neither Sputnik! nor Adaptive HeadTrack shows ads.

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