# Aurora Forecast. vs SpaceWeatherLive

The clearest difference is rating: Aurora Forecast. at 4.6 against SpaceWeatherLive's 4.0. Aurora Forecast. also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). SpaceWeatherLive's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and review sentiment (53% vs 32%). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aurora Forecast. sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and SpaceWeatherLive sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Aurora Forecast. holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aurora Forecast. has 4.8K ratings behind it against 189, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 32% of Aurora Forecast.'s written reviews are positive against 53% of SpaceWeatherLive's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Aurora Forecast. ships an update weekly, SpaceWeatherLive every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aurora Forecast. | SpaceWeatherLive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (4.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-forecast/id539875792/reviews)** | [4.0 (189 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spaceweatherlive/id1435501021/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.8K** | 189 |
| Positive reviews | 31.8% of reviews | **53.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#101** | — |
| Size | 22 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TINAC Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/539875795) | [Parsec vzw](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435501020) |

## What reviewers say

### Aurora Forecast.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-forecast/id539875792)

**Currently charting:** #101 Top Grossing · Weather, #137 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

This app acts as an intelligent guide for aurora hunting, leveraging AI and local weather data to provide personalized "Go/No-Go" verdicts. It offers real-time updates, interactive maps, and customizable notifications to help you find the Northern Lights.

**Highlights:** AI Aurora Analyst with personalized Go/No-Go verdicts, Real-time Kp-index updates via widgets, Apple Watch complications for wrist tracking, Interactive aurora probability map, 3D globe with real-time aurora visualization, Customizable push notifications for storms

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Alerts (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Aurora Ultimate Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Aurora Alerts(Yearly) | $12.99 | per year |
| Aurora Ultimate Pro (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent app with nice graphs
- 🌟 Accurate with current solar activity and short-term forecast
- 🌟 Fantastic amount of information about the sun and aurora
- 🌟 Alerts help plan for aurora viewing
- 🌟 Comprehensive data and visuals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes or freezes
- ⚠️ Inaccurate forecasts and predictions
- ⚠️ Notifications not working as expected
- ⚠️ Difficult to interpret data and graphs
- ⚠️ Biased towards Northern Hemisphere

**Reported bugs**

- Forecast data not updating
- App crashing on startup
- Incorrect location data
- Alerts not working as intended

**Requested features**

- Add support for Southern Hemisphere aurora
- Improve location-based forecasting and alerts
- Provide more user-friendly explanations of data and graphs
- Allow customization of notification settings
- Expand coverage to include more regions


### SpaceWeatherLive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spaceweatherlive/id1435501021)

Track aurora and solar activity in real-time with detailed forecasts and historical data. Receive customizable push notifications for significant space weather events. Explore an extensive archive and learn from expert reports.

**Highlights:** Aurora and solar activity tracking, Real-time forecasts, Push notifications for space weather events, Dark mode for night use, Detailed graphs and reports, Extensive historical data archive, Beginner-friendly explanations

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-free - monthly package | $0.99 | per month |
| Ad-free - half-yearly package | $5.49 | per 6 months |
| Ad-free - yearly package | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent space weather information
- 🔍 Detailed and informative data
- 📚 Helpful tutorials and explanations
- 🌍 Useful for aurora chasers and enthusiasts
- 🤖 Comprehensive data from various sources

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Overwhelming amount of information
- 🔔 Too many notifications/alerts
- 💰 Ads becoming too intrusive
- 🔌 Notifications not always working
- 🤔 Confusing navigation at times

**Reported bugs**

- Video links not working
- Alerts disappearing after opening the app
- Inconsistent performance after updates
- Notification count not clearing properly

**Requested features**

- Customizable notification settings
- Dark mode option
- Location-based alerts
- Ability to track solar activity trends
- Integration with other weather/astronomy apps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aurora Forecast. free?

Aurora Forecast. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SpaceWeatherLive free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Aurora Forecast. or SpaceWeatherLive?

Aurora Forecast. is rated higher. Aurora Forecast. averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.8K ratings, while SpaceWeatherLive averages 4.0 from 189 ratings.

### Do Aurora Forecast. or SpaceWeatherLive have ads?

SpaceWeatherLive shows ads; Aurora Forecast. does not.

### Which is updated more often, Aurora Forecast. or SpaceWeatherLive?

Aurora Forecast. ships an update weekly, and SpaceWeatherLive every 4 months. Most recently, Aurora Forecast. was updated on October 1, 2026 and SpaceWeatherLive on October 2, 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.*