# Aurora Compass vs Aurora Buddy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Aurora Buddy at none against Aurora Compass's 8. Aurora Buddy also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks) and review sentiment (100% vs 83%). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aurora Compass sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Aurora Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Aurora Buddy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Aurora Compass's written reviews are positive against 100% of Aurora Buddy's.

Aurora Compass ships an update every 5 weeks, Aurora Buddy every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aurora Compass | Aurora Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-compass/id6446504259/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-buddy/id6757205504/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 67 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Otto Ranta-Ojala](https://appshunter.io/developer/1678149884) | [Harsh Patel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1865290844) |

## 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 |


### Aurora Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-buddy/id6757205504)

This app provides hyper-local aurora borealis predictions and alerts based on solar wind data and local weather. It helps users find the best viewing conditions with cloud cover and light pollution maps, and offers long-range forecasts for planning.

**Highlights:** Hyper-local aurora probability, Flight aurora viewing planner, Smart background location alerts, Interactive cloud cover maps, Light pollution data overlay, 5-day long-range forecasts

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aurora Compass free?

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

### Is Aurora Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Aurora Compass or Aurora Buddy?

Aurora Buddy is rated higher. Aurora Compass averages 4.8 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Aurora Buddy averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do Aurora Compass or Aurora Buddy have ads?

Neither Aurora Compass nor Aurora Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Aurora Compass or Aurora Buddy?

Aurora Compass ships an update every 5 weeks, and Aurora Buddy every 10 days. Most recently, Aurora Compass was updated on October 15, 2026 and Aurora Buddy on October 3, 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.*