# Aurora Compass vs Northern Lights Tracker

The clearest difference is monetization model: Aurora Compass at free against Northern Lights Tracker's freemium. Aurora Compass also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 62%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Northern Lights Tracker's advantage is ratings volume (187 vs 9) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aurora Compass sells 8 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.

Aurora Compass holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Northern Lights Tracker has 187 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Aurora Compass's written reviews are positive against 62% of Northern Lights Tracker's.

Aurora Compass ships an update every 5 weeks, Northern Lights Tracker every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aurora Compass | Northern Lights Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-compass/id6446504259/reviews)** | [4.6 (187 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northern-lights-tracker/id6569249780/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **187** |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% of reviews** | 62.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 67 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Otto Ranta-Ojala](https://appshunter.io/developer/1678149884) | [Mehmet Ali Demir](https://appshunter.io/developer/1631537417) |

## What reviewers say

### Aurora Compass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-compass/id6446504259)

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.

**Highlights:** Aurora alert notifications, Geomagnetic activity tracking, Aurora forecast map, Real-time aurora probability, Solar image animation, Cloudiness forecast, Darkness tool

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pastel Color Palette | $1.99 | one-time |
| Black and White Palette | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pink Color Palette | $1.99 | one-time |
| Purple Color Palette | $1.99 | one-time |
| IBM Color Palette | $1.99 | one-time |
| Mint Color Palette | $4.99 | one-time |
| Gold Color Palette | $9.99 | one-time |
| Diamond Color Palette | $29.99 | 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 Compass free?

Aurora Compass 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 Compass or Northern Lights Tracker?

Aurora Compass is rated higher. Aurora Compass averages 4.8 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Northern Lights Tracker averages 4.6 from 187 ratings.

### Do Aurora Compass or Northern Lights Tracker have ads?

Neither Aurora Compass nor Northern Lights Tracker shows ads.

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

Aurora Compass ships an update every 5 weeks, and Northern Lights Tracker every 3 weeks. Most recently, Aurora Compass was updated on October 15, 2026 and Northern Lights Tracker on October 16, 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.*