# Sol vs Lightning Alarm

The clearest difference is price: Lightning Alarm at Free against Sol's $4.99. Lightning Alarm also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). Sol's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On ratings volume, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Lightning Alarm is free to download; Sol costs $4.99 up front. Lightning Alarm sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year. Sol asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sol holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 898 and 889 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Sol's written reviews are positive against 80% of Lightning Alarm's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sol | Lightning Alarm |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (898 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sol-sun-clock/id491537291/reviews)** | [4.5 (889 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightning-alarm/id1015876499/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **898** | 889 |
| Positive reviews | **93.2% of reviews** | 80.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#54** | — |
| Size | 16 MB | 79 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Juggleware, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/291091604) | [Infoplaza BV](https://appshunter.io/developer/419311197) |

## What reviewers say

### Sol

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sol-sun-clock/id491537291)

**Currently charting:** #54 Top Paid · Weather (US App Store)

Forecast sunrise, sunset, and twilight times for any location and date. Set smart alarms that adjust with the seasons and receive detailed solar almanac information. Plan your day around natural light, perfect for photography, outdoor activities, or maintaining sleep cycles.

**Highlights:** Sunrise and sunset time forecasting, Twilight period calculation (astronomical, nautical, civil), Location-aware alarms that adjust seasonally, Global location search and GPS support, Detailed solar almanac information, Golden hour and magic hour identification

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 🚀 Accurate and reliable information
- 💡 Useful for photographers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts
- 🌅 Helps users stay in tune with natural light cycles
- ⏰ Customizable alarms and alerts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔋 Alarms don't work when device is muted
- 🌙 Lack of moon phase information

**Reported bugs**

- Date selection issue where it shows a month ahead
- Notifications stop working after a few days

**Requested features**

- Add moon phase information
- Allow alarms to work even when device is muted
- Expand alert options beyond sunrise/sunset (e.g. solar noon, golden hour)
- Provide more customization options for alerts and alarms


### Lightning Alarm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightning-alarm/id1015876499)

Receive timely notifications about approaching thunderstorms and lightning strikes in your vicinity. This app provides accurate lightning detection and displays real-time information on a map, ensuring safety during outdoor activities.

**Highlights:** Real-time lightning detection, Approaching storm notifications, Lightning distance display, Map view of lightning strikes, Textual storm information, Push message alerts

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lightning Alarm Premium | $2.99 | per year |
| 1 month ad free | $0.99 | one-time |
| 3 months ad free | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1 year ad free | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐️ Excellent app
- 👍 Works great
- 🚀 Accurate and precise
- 🔔 Helpful notifications
- 🌩️ Tracks lightning effectively

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes or freezes
- ⚠️ Inaccurate or unreliable
- 🔍 Difficult to set location
- 🔢 Metric units not preferred

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications not working
- Map tiles not loading properly
- App crashing on launch

**Requested features**

- Option to switch between miles and kilometers
- Add multiple locations to track
- Improve map visuals and details
- Customizable alert radius


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sol free?

Sol costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Lightning Alarm free?

Lightning Alarm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sol or Lightning Alarm?

Sol is rated higher. Sol averages 4.8 out of 5 from 898 ratings, while Lightning Alarm averages 4.5 from 889 ratings.

### Do Sol or Lightning Alarm have ads?

Lightning Alarm shows ads; Sol does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sol or Lightning Alarm?

Sol ships an update every 2 months, and Lightning Alarm every 2 months. Most recently, Sol was updated on September 25, 2026 and Lightning Alarm on September 25, 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.*