# Live Lightning vs LightningMaps

The clearest difference is rating: LightningMaps at 5.0 against Live Lightning's 2.9. Live Lightning's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (10 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

LightningMaps holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Live Lightning has 10 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Live Lightning ships an update monthly, LightningMaps every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Live Lightning | LightningMaps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.9 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/live-lightning/id541468577/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightningmaps/id6463732506/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 26.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 15 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bertrand Kerautret](https://appshunter.io/developer/540209781) | [Andrii Rudenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1701313432) |

## What reviewers say

### Live Lightning

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/live-lightning/id541468577)

Track real-time lightning strikes across Europe. View current lightning maps and save historical data. Follow lightning evolution with a minimal time delay.

**Highlights:** Real-time lightning display, Europe area coverage, Save lightning history, Reload lightning maps, Near real-time tracking

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works perfectly fine
- 👍 Accurate and up-to-date data
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 No ads
- 👍 Useful for hikers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App not working
- 🐛 Connection errors
- 🐛 Alerts not working
- 🐛 Inaccurate detection
- 🐛 Crashes on open

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Update app for iOS 18 widget
- Implement working alerts/notifications
- Fix connection issues
- Improve accuracy of lightning detection
- Convert times to local time


### LightningMaps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightningmaps/id6463732506)

Pinpoint the exact location and distance of real-life lightning strikes using your phone's sensors. Simply tap when you see a flash and again when you hear thunder to instantly reveal the strike's coordinates. It's like having a personal lightning detector in your pocket.

**Highlights:** Pinpoint lightning strike locations, Measure distance to strikes, Intuitive tap-based interface, Real-time tracking, Safety guidelines included

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Live Lightning free?

Live Lightning is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is LightningMaps free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Live Lightning or LightningMaps?

LightningMaps is rated higher. Live Lightning averages 2.9 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while LightningMaps averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Live Lightning or LightningMaps have ads?

Neither Live Lightning nor LightningMaps shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Live Lightning or LightningMaps?

Live Lightning ships an update monthly, and LightningMaps every 8 months. Most recently, Live Lightning was updated on October 7, 2026 and LightningMaps on October 8, 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.*