Aurora Compass vs Aurora Notifier
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Aurora Compass
This app provides aurora forecasts and alerts, helping users find the best conditions to see the northern or southern lights. It offers detailed space weather data, real-time geomagnetic activity, and a cloudiness filter for accurate predictions.
- Aurora alert notifications
- Geomagnetic activity tracking
- Aurora forecast map
- Real-time aurora probability
- Solar image animation
- Cloudiness forecast
- Darkness tool
Read full descriptionHide full description
Aurora Compass is a free aurora and space weather forecast app with no ads or paywalls. With it, you'll get all the data you need to catch the northern or southern lights in a layout that’s simple for beginners, yet detailed for experienced aurora chasers. The main features include: • Aurora alert notifications with cloudiness filter • Near real-time geomagnetic activity from over 110 magnetometers • Aurora forecast map with observation sharing tool • Current and forecasted aurora probability in your location • Solar image animation with x-ray chart and solar regions • WSA-Enlil solar wind forecast animation • Darkness tool to see when it'll be dark • Moon rise, set and phase information • Cloudiness forecast • Solar wind charts • Kp forecasts • Color theme for people with red-green colorblindness
Aurora Notifier
Receive alerts for potential aurora sightings with configurable thresholds for Kp-index and solar wind parameters. See user-submitted photos and real-time observation locations on a 3D globe. A premium version offers advanced technical data and hidden features.
- Aurora sighting notifications
- Configurable alert thresholds
- User-submitted aurora photos
- Real-time observation map
- Kp-index and solar wind data
- Premium version with advanced features
Read full descriptionHide full description
Aurora notification app with observation reports. Finally available for iOS. This aurora notification app shows notifications when it may be possible to see the northern lights (aurora borealis / australis)! It provides configurable thresholds for local aurora probability, Kp-index (Hp30), solar wind parameters (Bz/Bt) and Kp-level forecast for the evening. It also allows you to be alerted when other app users nearby have seen the aurora light display. For the alert feature to work, other app users register aurora reports when they are successful hunting and get to see the aurora light display. This has proven to be quite successful. Many of the app users also upload pictures of northern lights when they see them, and in this app you can see these pictures. You can also see dots on a 3d-globe animation showing where people have just observed the light show. There are users in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand who regularly report their observations and upload pictures. Although the chances are greater if you live in Alaska, northern Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the southern tip of New Zealand etc, there are also regular opportunities in places like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington, Montana, Michigan, Chicago, New York, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the Baltics etc. The premium version which can be bought within the app itself offers some more technical information and graphs of Kp-index predictions, cloud cover and solar wind parameters - and some hidden features. The app has an associated X account (@aurora_notifier - https://x.com/aurora_notifier) and an Instagram account (@auroranotifierapp - https://www.instagram.com/auroranotifierapp). Consider following those.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Aurora Compass at 80% against Aurora Notifier's 0%. Aurora Compass also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Aurora Notifier's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Aurora Compass sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Aurora Notifier sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Aurora Compass holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Aurora Compass's written reviews are positive against 0% of Aurora Notifier's.
Aurora Compass ships an update monthly, Aurora Notifier every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Aurora Compass | Aurora Notifier |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (8 ratings) — better | 4.5 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 61 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Otto Ranta-Ojala | Naturfakta AS |
Customer experience
Aurora Compass
Aurora Notifier
In-app purchases
Aurora Compass
- Pastel Color Palette$1.99
- Black and White Palette$1.99
- Pink Color Palette$1.99
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Purple Color Palette$1.99
- IBM Color Palette$1.99
- Mint Color Palette$4.99
- Gold Color Palette$9.99
- Diamond Color Palette$29.99
Aurora Notifier
- Premium upgrade$2.99
- Premium$3.99
Questions
Is Aurora Compass free?
Is Aurora Notifier free?
Which has better reviews, Aurora Compass or Aurora Notifier?
Do Aurora Compass or Aurora Notifier have ads?
Which is updated more often, Aurora Compass or Aurora Notifier?
Other comparisons















