# Aurora Alert Realtime vs Northern Lights Tracker

The clearest difference is rating: Northern Lights Tracker at 4.6 against Aurora Alert Realtime's 3.3. Northern Lights Tracker also leads on ratings volume (192 vs 6) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Aurora Alert Realtime's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 62%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aurora Alert Realtime sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Northern Lights Tracker sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Northern Lights Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Northern Lights Tracker has 192 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Aurora Alert Realtime's written reviews are positive against 62% of Northern Lights Tracker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Aurora Alert Realtime ships an update every 2 months, Northern Lights Tracker every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aurora Alert Realtime | Northern Lights Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-alert-realtime/id6443596649/reviews) | **[4.6 (192 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northern-lights-tracker/id6569249780/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **192** |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 62.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 27 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kooditehdas Oy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1440062928) | [Mehmet Ali Demir](https://appshunter.io/developer/1631537417) |

## What reviewers say

### Aurora Alert Realtime

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-alert-realtime/id6443596649)

Receive real-time alerts for visible Northern Lights with high-quality, automatically updated imagery. Access daily forecasts, detailed knowledge, and stunning photos to enhance your aurora viewing experience.

**Highlights:** Real-time aurora alerts, High-quality sky imagery, Automated image updates, Daily aurora and weather forecasts, 1, 3, and 27-day aurora forecasts, Northern Lights knowledge base

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 day subscription | $5.99 | one-time |
| 2 days subscription | $9.99 | one-time |
| 3 days subscription | $13.99 | one-time |
| 4 days subscription | $17.99 | one-time |
| 5 days subscription | $21.99 | one-time |


### Northern Lights Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northern-lights-tracker/id6569249780)

This app provides real-time predictions and forecasts for the aurora borealis using NOAA space weather data. It helps users find the best viewing locations and times, offering smart alerts and interactive maps for an optimal aurora hunting experience.

**Highlights:** Real-time aurora probability, NOAA-powered KP index, Interactive global aurora maps, Best viewing location recommendations, Space weather data monitoring, Smart aurora alerts, Apple Watch integration

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| week | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| month | $5.99 | per month |
| year | $34.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for tracking trips
- 👍 Good for Aurora tracking
- 👍 Accurate for location
- 👍 Helps plan trips
- 👍 User-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Not free, useless without payment
- 🐛 App crashes
- 💸 Misleading pricing, charged unexpectedly
- 🐛 Notifications are bogus/inaccurate
- 🐛 Enable Notifications shuts off

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes out of nowhere
- Phone part of app shows 0%
- Enable Notifications continuously shuts itself OFF
- Data seems outdated and freezes
- App crashes in Norway

**Requested features**

- Add widgets
- Correlate probability to times
- Show probability over time (next 24 hours)
- Allow setting threshold for 'good chance' notifications
- Show readings for around the world


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aurora Alert Realtime free?

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

### Is Northern Lights Tracker free?

Northern Lights Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Aurora Alert Realtime or Northern Lights Tracker?

Northern Lights Tracker is rated higher. Aurora Alert Realtime averages 3.3 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Northern Lights Tracker averages 4.6 from 192 ratings.

### Do Aurora Alert Realtime or Northern Lights Tracker have ads?

Neither Aurora Alert Realtime nor Northern Lights Tracker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Aurora Alert Realtime or Northern Lights Tracker?

Aurora Alert Realtime ships an update every 2 months, and Northern Lights Tracker every 3 weeks. Most recently, Aurora Alert Realtime was updated on November 7, 2026 and Northern Lights Tracker on November 8, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*