Spot the Station vs VCT
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Spot the Station
Receive notifications when the International Space Station is visible from your location. Explore real-time 2D and 3D views, augmented reality tracking, and access NASA resources. Experience the wonder of human presence in orbit.
- Real-time 2D & 3D station location
- Upcoming sighting lists
- Augmented reality view with trajectory
- NASA space station resources & blog
- Push notifications for sightings
Read full descriptionHide full description
For anyone who has ever gazed up at the night sky and wondered about the mysteries of the universe, witnessing the International Space Station pass overhead can be an awe-inspiring moment. The Spot the Station mobile app is designed to notify users when the space station is visible overhead from their location. It aims to broaden access and awareness of the station and NASA globally, by providing users with an opportunity to experience the wonder of the space station firsthand. The realization that there are human beings living and working in that tiny dot, orbiting the Earth at a mind-boggling speed of 17,500 miles per hour, is breathtaking. The app includes several helpful features including: 1. 2D & 3D real-time location views of the station 2. Upcoming Sighting Lists with visibility data 3. Augmented Reality (AR) view with compass and trajectory lines embedded into the camera view 4. Up-to-date NASA space station Resources & Blog 5. Privacy Settings 6. Push Notifications when the station is approaching your location.
VCT
Read full descriptionHide full description
VCT brings a builder community, AI tool discovery and source-backed news together. It is a place for developers and makers exploring vibe coding and turning ideas into projects. SHARE WHAT YOU ARE BUILDING Share your work, ask questions and discover projects from other makers. Read posts, like and comment. Posts and comments appear directly in the community. FIND TOOLS FOR YOUR WORKFLOW Explore AI tools by use case. Compare alternatives and find options that fit how you work. FOLLOW THE SOURCE Keep up with AI and software news. Open original source links and review image credits and licenses. KEEP USEFUL RESOURCES CLOSE Discover learning resources, books and video content. Save content that interests you and return to it later. Use the app in English or Turkish. Browse news and tools without an account. Join with Apple or GitHub, or sign in with an existing email account to post and interact. Content reporting, user blocking and account deletion are available in the app. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://vibecodingturkey.com/en/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Spot the Station at none against VCT's 2. Spot the Station also leads on ads (none vs shown) and device support (3 vs 1). VCT's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On price 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. VCT sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Spot the Station asks for nothing beyond the download.
Spot the Station ships an update every 3 months, VCT every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Spot the Station | VCT |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (11K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 63.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 11K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 84 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | NASA | Onur Hseyin Kocak |
Bugs and requests
Spot the Station
Reported bugs
5 issues- Location-detection bugs are fixed, and the app is much much better.
- Location FIXED with the latest update
- App now working as expected
- App crashes when trying to use AR
- Crashes when granting camera permission
Requested features
4 requests- Would like to know speed and height at which this incredible machine is whizzing above our planet!
- I wish it could say dates further into the future though
- I would love to have an option of the map to show where it's at like which country or state it's flying over
- Would be nice if the notification would give you the details of the pass over your location i.e Visible: 1 min Max Height: 16° Appears: 10° above S Disappears: 16° above S
VCT
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Spot the Station
No in-app purchases
VCT
- VCT Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
- VCT Pro Yearly$79.991 Year
