Comparison

Magnetic Storms vs Satellite Tracker

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Magnetic Storms

Monitor Earth's magnetic field and solar activity in near real-time. Track Kp and A indices, solar wind speed, solar flares, and proton/electron flux. Predict auroras and magnetic storms.

Highlights
  • Real-time magnetic field monitoring
  • Solar activity tracking
  • Kp and A Index data
  • Solar wind speed
  • Solar flare detection
  • Proton and electron flux
  • Aurora prediction
Read full description

The Magnetic Storms application was originally developed to allow monitoring of the Earth's magnetic field in near real time, using data from GOES satellites that constantly monitor solar activity and a set of magnetic stations distributed around the Earth. With the improvement of the application due to the huge number of users and the availability of new parameters related to the Sun and Space Weather by the space agencies, lots of other information was added and they are shown in a simple and intuitive way. The main parameters presented are the Kp Index, the A Index, the instantaneous speed of the solar wind, the number of class C, M and X solar flares observed in X-rays, in addition to the flux of protons and electrons, flux of X-rays and magnetic field measurements observed by GOES-16. With an analysis of this information it is possible to anticipate sudden changes in the Earth's magnetic field at ground level and the occurrence of aurora with some advance. An ideal application for anyone who wants to monitor solar activity and its implications on Earth, such as problems in the transmission of radio and TV waves, blackouts in electricity transformer stations, auroras, magnetic storms. It is the perfect app for anyone interested in Space Weather in general, and is available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and French. As a way of keeping the app distributed for free and constantly updated, we kindly ask you to rate the app ("stars") and write a brief description of why you use it and (we hope you) enjoy it. Criticism and suggestions are always welcome at mikebm10.appledeveloper@gmail.com. NOTE: the parameters shown in the application are obtained from the research entities responsible for their collection and processing, and depend on the availability and access to the electronic servers of these entities. Any connection speed problems with the servers or temporary unavailability of information by those institutions can affect the functioning of the application, and are beyond the control of the developers. Problems should be reported by email mikebm10.appledeveloper@gmail.com, with a description of the observed effects. Please do not assign a low rating in the evaluation of the application for possible failures in the servers, which are not our responsibility. An email message will be promptly answered and possible measures will be taken. We thank you for your understanding.

About

Satellite Tracker

Track satellites, the Sun, and the Moon with rise/set times and visibility calculations. Visualize Earth with 3D globe or 2D map views and customize tracking options. Offers free basic functionality with optional subscriptions for expanded satellite access.

Highlights
  • Satellite, Sun, and Moon tracking
  • Rise/set times and visibility calculations
  • 3D globe and 2D map Earth views
  • Customizable tracking options
  • Free basic functionality
  • Optional satellite subscription plans
Features
Read full description

Satellite Tracker is the follow on to our award winning HamSat series of applications. Satellite Tracker merges all the features of the iPhone and iPad versions providing you a single application that seamlessly optimizes the screen to the device you’re running it on (check out the various iPhone and iPad screen shots). The application will calculate the rise/set times and associated azimuth and elevation for the selected satellite, Sun or Moon given either the user entered or network retrieved location. There are two modes for satellite rise/set calculations. The first is for those folks wanting to know all overflights for a given location (like Ham radio operators) while the second mode computes only those passes where the satellite would be visible to a ground observer. In the ground observer mode, the calculations not only take into account that the ground is dark but also that the satellite is in sunlight (it even takes into account if the satellite becomes lit or unlit during the pass) In addition, you can see the Earth rendered either as a 3D globe or a 2D map using photo realistic texture maps for the Earth model. The orientation of the map is easily changed by a simple rotation of the device from portrait (3D) to landscape (2D). In either orientation you can zoom in and out as well as pan using the touch screen. There are more than a dozen controls provided to allow you to customize how the application works to meet your specific needs (type of Earth texture used, location, type of overflight calculated…) Finally, the application is now free to download and provides full functionality for tracking, viewing and communicating with the International Space Station (what was the capability of the ISS family of paid apps). The following subscriptions are available for tracking and communicating with a larger set of satellites: -HamSat (Annual and Monthly): Provides access to the NORAD and AMSAT two line element sets which cover all amateur related satellites. -ProSat (Annual and Monthly): Provides access to thousands of satellites grouped into the following categories (from www.celestrak.com): -100 (or so) Brightest -Last 30 Day’s Launches (or so) -Amateur Ham Radio Satellites -CubeSats -Disaster Monitoring -Earth Resources -Education -Engineering -Geodetic -Geostationary -GOES -GPS Operational -Intelsat -Iridium -Molniya -NOAA -Orbcomm -Search & Rescue (SARSAT) -Space & Earth Science -Space Station -Weather To get a feel for the apps, please checkout the iPad quickstart video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiHCGxV0WM8) and associated user’s guide (http://www.vosworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SatSeriesHD.pdf) or the iPhone quickstart video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuPccQI9oSg) and it’s user’s guide (http://www.vosworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SatSeries.pdf). Please note that InApp payments will be charged to your AppleID account at the confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscription by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. For more information, please visit our Terms of Service at http://www.vosworx.com/terms-of-service-for-app and our Privacy Policy at http://www.vosworx.com/privacy-policy-for-apps. Thanks to everyone who has sent in their questions/requests and keep them coming! -Craig (support@vosworx.com)

Screenshots

Magnetic Storms4 screens
Satellite Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Magnetic Storms at 4.3 against Satellite Tracker's 3.4. Magnetic Storms also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 44%) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). Satellite Tracker's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 12 months). On price, ratings volume, monetization model 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. Satellite Tracker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Magnetic Storms asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Magnetic Storms holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 13 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Magnetic Storms's written reviews are positive against 44% of Satellite Tracker's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Magnetic Storms ships an update every 12 months, Satellite Tracker every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and August 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Magnetic Storms versus Satellite Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagnetic StormsSatellite Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (19 ratings) — better3.4 (13 ratings)
Positive reviews81.5% of reviews — better44.4% of reviews
Number of ratings19 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.4 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndre MolinaCraig Vosburgh

Customer experience

Magnetic Storms

All ratings19 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral5.3%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive81.5%
Neutral5.4%
Negative13.0%

Satellite Tracker

All ratings13 ratings
Positive61.5%
Neutral7.7%
Negative30.8%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive44.4%
Neutral11.1%
Negative44.4%

In-app purchases

None

Magnetic Storms

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Satellite Tracker

Subscriptions4
  • Amateur Satellites Monthly$1.491 Month
  • All Satellites Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Amateur Satellites Annual$8.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • All Satellites Annual$11.991 Year

Questions

Is Magnetic Storms free?
Magnetic Storms is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Satellite Tracker free?
Satellite Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Magnetic Storms or Satellite Tracker?
Magnetic Storms is rated higher. Magnetic Storms averages 4.3 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Satellite Tracker averages 3.4 from 13 ratings.
Do Magnetic Storms or Satellite Tracker have ads?
Magnetic Storms shows ads; Satellite Tracker does not.
Which is updated more often, Magnetic Storms or Satellite Tracker?
Magnetic Storms ships an update every 12 months, and Satellite Tracker every 3 months. Most recently, Magnetic Storms was updated on June 10, 2026 and Satellite Tracker on August 21, 2026.

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