Live Lightning vs Lightning Tracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Live Lightning
Track real-time lightning strikes across Europe. View current lightning maps and save historical data. Follow lightning evolution with a minimal time delay.
- Real-time lightning display
- Europe area coverage
- Save lightning history
- Reload lightning maps
- Near real-time tracking
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This application allows to display in real time the lightning impact of the Europe area (only). The data are kindly provided by http://www.blitzortung.org. It also permits to save the current lightning history and reload a particular lightning maps. It can be useful to follow the lightning evolution in near real time (around 5 minutes of time shift). Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
Lightning Tracker
Visualize real-time lightning strikes across North and South America on a dynamic map. Receive predictive alerts for strike patterns and intensity, with estimated arrival times for your location. Monitor current and historical lightning activity to stay informed and protected.
- Live lightning map
- Real-time strike visualization
- Predictive lightning alerts
- Estimated time of arrival (ETA) for strikes
- Monitor saved locations
- 6-hour strike history
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Stay safe from lightning! Lightning Tracker delivers real-time lightning strike data for North and South America, keeping you and your loved ones protected. Live Lightning Map: Watch real-time strikes across the Americas with color-coded visuals to track lightning movement. Lightning Alerts: Predict strike patterns and intensity, with ETAs for your location. Monitor Anywhere: Check strikes near you or saved spots, like home or family, in one tap. 6-Hour Strike History: Analyze past lightning trends to stay one step ahead. Protect what matters most with Lightning Tracker. Download now to track strikes and stay safe!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lightning Tracker at 75% against Live Lightning's 27%. Lightning Tracker also leads on rating (4.3 vs 2.9) and ratings volume (574 vs 10). Live Lightning's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price 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
Both are free to download. Lightning Tracker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Live Lightning asks for nothing beyond the download.
Lightning Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightning Tracker has 574 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of Live Lightning's written reviews are positive against 75% of Lightning Tracker's.
Live Lightning ships an update monthly, Lightning Tracker every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Live Lightning | Lightning Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.9 (10 ratings) | 4.3 (574 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 26.7% of reviews | 74.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 10 | 574 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 127 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bertrand Kerautret | Elecont LLC |
Customer experience
Live Lightning
Lightning Tracker
User reviews
Live Lightning
From 10 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Works perfectly fine
- 👍 Accurate and up-to-date data
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 No ads
- 👍 Useful for hikers
Room to improve
- 🐛 App not working
- 🐛 Connection errors
- 🐛 Alerts not working
- 🐛 Inaccurate detection
- 🐛 Crashes on open
Lightning Tracker
From 574 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate and real-time lightning tracking
- 👍 Helpful for safety and planning outdoor activities
- 💡 Useful for weather monitoring and storm tracking
- ⭐ Excellent app overall
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📢 Intrusive ads in free version
- 🚫 Lack of important features like distance, alerts, and history
Bugs and requests
Live Lightning
Reported bugs
19 issues- Connection loss errors
- Widget disappeared after iOS 18 update
- Alerts not functioning for years
- App doesn't detect lightning even when close
- No notifications received if app is not active
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- No notifications or nearby strikes during a storm
- App doesn't launch
- App not connecting to server
- Previous strikes don't always draw on map
- App crashes after receiving data
- App crashes when editing settings
- App crashes on zoom/orientation change
- Map locked without unlock option
- App shows incorrect location (e.g., Africa, Atlantic)
- App shows very old or static data (e.g., 6 strikes)
- App broken on iOS 7
- No map showing, only strikes
- Badge is annoying, flash signs too large
- Distance radius difficult to adjust
Requested features
10 requests- Update app for iOS 18 widget
- Implement working alerts/notifications
- Fix connection issues
- Improve accuracy of lightning detection
- Convert times to local time
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- Add contact option for developers
- Improve German translation
- Allow zooming and orientation changes without crashing
- Add a color scale for detection time
- Notification on icon based on distance filter
Lightning Tracker
Reported bugs
3 issues- App not detecting lightning strikes even when visible
- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Issues with app updates and functionality changes
Requested features
4 requests- Add distance/radius information for lightning strikes
- Implement push notifications/alerts for lightning within a certain radius
- Provide historical data and the ability to view past lightning activity
- Improve overall app stability and performance
In-app purchases
Live Lightning
No in-app purchases
Lightning Tracker
- Remove Ads & Limits$2.99
Questions
Is Live Lightning free?
Is Lightning Tracker free?
Which has better reviews, Live Lightning or Lightning Tracker?
Do Live Lightning or Lightning Tracker have ads?
Which is updated more often, Live Lightning or Lightning Tracker?
Other comparisons
