Comparison

LightningMaps vs Lightning Tracker‎

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

LightningMaps

Pinpoint the exact location and distance of real-life lightning strikes using your phone's sensors. Simply tap when you see a flash and again when you hear thunder to instantly reveal the strike's coordinates. It's like having a personal lightning detector in your pocket.

Highlights
  • Pinpoint lightning strike locations
  • Measure distance to strikes
  • Intuitive tap-based interface
  • Real-time tracking
  • Safety guidelines included
Features
Read full description

Unleash Your Inner Thor with LightningMaps! With LightningMaps, you can harness the power of Thor himself. The app takes your current location as a reference point, enabling you to pinpoint real life lightning strikes with unmatched precision. Here's how it works: Step 1: When you spot that electrifying flash in the sky, tap your screen. Step 2: Aim your phone in the direction of the lightning, channeling your inner god of thunder and Tap again when the thunder roars. LightningMaps works its magic, revealing the lightning's exact location in an instant.  It's like carrying your very own lightning rod right in your pocket! You see the lightning location and the distance from you. So, feel like Thor and conquer the storm with LightningMasp. Lightning tracking has never been this electrifying! Note: LightningMaps prioritizes safety. Always adhere to safety guidelines when observing thunderstorms.

About

Lightning Tracker‎

Monitor real-time lightning strikes on a map with detailed information like time and distance. Receive background notifications for nearby activity and customize your detection radius. View current weather conditions alongside lightning alerts.

Highlights
  • Real-time lightning strike map
  • Strike details (time, distance)
  • Background monitoring and notifications
  • Customizable detection radius (1-50 miles)
  • Current weather conditions view
  • Lightning strike expiration (15 minutes)
Features
Read full description

Track and monitor lightning strikes in realtime nearby to your location, with Lightning Tracker Live. Lightning strikes are presented on a map view, where you can tap on each marked lightning strike for more details, including: • Time of strike • Distance from your current location Lightning strikes will appear on the map view in realtime & will expire after 15 minutes, keeping you up to date with only the latest lightning activity all the time. The app will also work when in the background, periodically checking for any lightning strikes & notifying you if any do occur. As a default setting, the app will check/monitor at a radius of 25 miles within your location for lightning activity. This can be customized in the app settings from anywhere between 1 & 50 miles. Your chosen radius value will be saved for future use. Other features include an option to view your current weather conditions. We hope that you find this app useful. Please reach out to us via email support if you have any feedback or questions. Subscription: Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. If your subscription is subject to any promotional discount, the discount will expire upon the end of the current period and you'll be charged the standard rate upon renewal. Go to your iTunes Account under subscriptions to manage your membership and to turn auto-renew off. Your iTunes Account will be charged when the purchase is confirmed. Privacy Policy: https://goingmerry.xyz/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://goingmerry.xyz/terms-conditions/

Screenshots

LightningMaps2 screens
Lightning Tracker‎4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: LightningMaps at 5.0 against Lightning Tracker‎'s 4.4. LightningMaps also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown). Lightning Tracker‎'s advantage is ratings volume (172 vs 1). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Lightning Tracker‎ sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. LightningMaps asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LightningMaps holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightning Tracker‎ has 172 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LightningMaps ships an update every 8 months, Lightning Tracker‎ every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
LightningMaps versus Lightning Tracker‎: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightningMapsLightning Tracker‎
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.4 (172 ratings)
Positive reviews—8.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1172 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB64 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrii RudenkoGoing Merry LLC

Customer experience

LightningMaps

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Lightning Tracker‎

All ratings172 ratings
Positive84.9%
Neutral3.5%
Negative11.6%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive8.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative91.7%

In-app purchases

None

LightningMaps

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Lightning Tracker‎

Subscriptions6
  • Premium Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Premium Weekly$1.997 Days
  • Premium Weekly$2.997 Days
Show 3 more
  • Premium Yearly$6.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly$9.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly$19.991 Year

Questions

Is LightningMaps free?
LightningMaps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lightning Tracker‎ free?
Lightning Tracker‎ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, LightningMaps or Lightning Tracker‎?
LightningMaps is rated higher. LightningMaps averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Lightning Tracker‎ averages 4.4 from 172 ratings.
Do LightningMaps or Lightning Tracker‎ have ads?
Lightning Tracker‎ shows ads; LightningMaps does not.
Which is updated more often, LightningMaps or Lightning Tracker‎?
LightningMaps ships an update every 8 months, and Lightning Tracker‎ every 4 months. Most recently, LightningMaps was updated on October 8, 2026 and Lightning Tracker‎ on October 12, 2026.

Other comparisons