# Aurora Forecast vs Northern Lights Tracker

The clearest difference is monetization model: Aurora Forecast at free against Northern Lights Tracker's freemium. Aurora Forecast also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 weeks). Northern Lights Tracker's advantage is ratings volume (185 vs 10) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aurora Forecast sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Northern Lights Tracker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Aurora Forecast against 4.6 for Northern Lights Tracker. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Northern Lights Tracker has 185 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Aurora Forecast's written reviews are positive against 61% of Northern Lights Tracker's.

Aurora Forecast ships an update every 5 days, Northern Lights Tracker every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aurora Forecast | Northern Lights Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-forecast/id6504164852/reviews) | [4.6 (185 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northern-lights-tracker/id6569249780/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **185** |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 61.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 30 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kurian Onnunny Samuel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1500495503) | [Mehmet Ali Demir](https://appshunter.io/developer/1631537417) |

## What reviewers say

### Aurora Forecast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-forecast/id6504164852)

Track the Northern Lights with real-time predictions and detailed aurora information. This user-friendly application provides accurate forecasts based on advanced satellite data, making it ideal for aurora enthusiasts and photographers.

**Highlights:** Real-time aurora predictions, Advanced satellite data, User-friendly design, Reliable forecasts, No advertisements, No subscriptions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy Me Coffee ? | $2.99 | one-time |


### Northern Lights Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northern-lights-tracker/id6569249780)

This app provides real-time predictions and forecasts for the aurora borealis using NOAA space weather data. It helps users find the best viewing locations and times, offering smart alerts and interactive maps for an optimal aurora hunting experience.

**Highlights:** Real-time aurora probability, NOAA-powered KP index, Interactive global aurora maps, Best viewing location recommendations, Space weather data monitoring, Smart aurora alerts, Apple Watch integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| week | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| month | $5.99 | per month |
| year | $34.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for tracking trips
- 👍 Good for Aurora tracking
- 👍 Accurate for location
- 👍 Helps plan trips
- 👍 User-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Not free, useless without payment
- 🐛 App crashes
- 💸 Misleading pricing, charged unexpectedly
- 🐛 Notifications are bogus/inaccurate
- 🐛 Enable Notifications shuts off

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes out of nowhere
- Phone part of app shows 0%
- Enable Notifications continuously shuts itself OFF
- Data seems outdated and freezes
- App crashes in Norway

**Requested features**

- Add widgets
- Correlate probability to times
- Show probability over time (next 24 hours)
- Allow setting threshold for 'good chance' notifications
- Show readings for around the world


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aurora Forecast free?

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

### Is Northern Lights Tracker free?

Northern Lights Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Aurora Forecast or Northern Lights Tracker?

Aurora Forecast and Northern Lights Tracker are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 10 and 185 ratings respectively.

### Do Aurora Forecast or Northern Lights Tracker have ads?

Neither Aurora Forecast nor Northern Lights Tracker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Aurora Forecast or Northern Lights Tracker?

Aurora Forecast ships an update every 5 days, and Northern Lights Tracker every 4 weeks. Most recently, Aurora Forecast was updated on September 24, 2026 and Northern Lights Tracker on September 23, 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.*