# Aurora Compass vs Hotspot Earth

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hotspot Earth at weekly against Aurora Compass's every 5 weeks. Aurora Compass's advantage is iOS requirement (16.6 vs 26.2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aurora Compass sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Hotspot Earth sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Aurora Compass ships an update every 5 weeks, Hotspot Earth weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aurora Compass | Hotspot Earth |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-compass/id6446504259/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **9** | — |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 67 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 26.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Otto Ranta-Ojala](https://appshunter.io/developer/1678149884) | [James Grote](https://appshunter.io/developer/338517204) |

## 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 |


### Hotspot Earth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotspot-earth-realtime-data/id6767672080)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Lifetime Access | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aurora Compass free?

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

### Is Hotspot Earth free?

Hotspot Earth is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Aurora Compass or Hotspot Earth have ads?

Neither Aurora Compass nor Hotspot Earth shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Aurora Compass or Hotspot Earth?

Aurora Compass ships an update every 5 weeks, and Hotspot Earth weekly. Most recently, Aurora Compass was updated on November 12, 2026 and Hotspot Earth on November 5, 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.*