# Spot the Station vs Mathalon

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mathalon at every 2 days against Spot the Station's every 3 months. Spot the Station's advantage is chart position (#198 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Spot the Station ships an update every 3 months, Mathalon every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spot the Station | Mathalon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spot-the-station/id6449235044/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 63.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#198** | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 26.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 12+ |
| Developer | [NASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/355542146) | [PETER CHRISTER ANDREAS NODTVEIDT](https://appshunter.io/developer/6788535616) |

## What reviewers say

### Spot the Station

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spot-the-station/id6449235044)

**Currently charting:** #198 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Real-time 2D & 3D station location, Upcoming sighting lists, Augmented reality view with trajectory, NASA space station resources & blog, Push notifications for sightings

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Awesome App
- 🚀 ISS joy!
- 🚀 Awesome App!
- 🚀 Brilliant
- 🚀 Great fun app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 AR View jumps to a bug screen
- 🐛 Loses location
- 🐛 Can't open
- 🐛 Current location
- 🐛 Crashes on iPhone 15 Pro

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### Mathalon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathalon/id6788535614)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spot the Station free?

Spot the Station is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Mathalon free?

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

### Do Spot the Station or Mathalon have ads?

Neither Spot the Station nor Mathalon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spot the Station or Mathalon?

Spot the Station ships an update every 3 months, and Mathalon every 2 days. Most recently, Spot the Station was updated on October 31, 2026 and Mathalon on October 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*