Comparison

Northern Lights Tracker vs SkyWindow

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

Head to head
About

Northern Lights Tracker

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
Read full description

Never miss the northern lights again. Northern Lights Tracker tells you whether tonight is worth going out, when to look and where to go. It turns live NOAA space weather data into one clear aurora chance for your exact location. Tonight at a Glance • Aurora chance for your location, updated live • A clear verdict, from "Go look now" to "Not tonight", with activity, solar wind, moon and cloud factors • Best viewing time and the best 2-hour window • Current Kp index and a 3-day Kp outlook • Search any place and save your favorite spots • Share tonight's forecast with friends Aurora Alerts Get notified when the aurora is likely where you are. Choose a chance alert, a Kp alert, a storm early warning up to 24 hours ahead, or a solar wind (Bz) alert with your own threshold. Chance and solar wind alerts wait until it is dark, and quiet hours keep your nights undisturbed. Storm and solar wind alerts can arrive as time-sensitive notifications, with your choice of sound or vibration. You decide how often the app checks: every 15, 30, 60 or 180 minutes. Lock Screen, Widgets and Apple Watch • Home Screen widgets with chance, Kp, peak time and a 12-hour chart • Lock Screen widgets • Live Activity: follow tonight's chance on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island • Apple Watch app with your chance and Kp at a glance, plus watch face complications • Ask Siri for tonight's aurora chance without opening the app Space Weather in Detail • Hour-by-hour aurora chance for the next 24 hours • Tonight's Sky: sunset, dark hours, sunrise and moon phase, including polar night and midnight sun • Cloud cover from Apple Weather • Solar wind: Bz, total field, speed and density, with charts for the last 3 hours • 27-day Kp outlook to plan trips weeks ahead Map and Best Places • Live map of the NOAA aurora oval. Long-press anywhere to check the chance there • 15 top aurora destinations ranked by tonight's chance, with distance from you: Tromsø, Svalbard, Rovaniemi, Inari, Sodankylä, Reykjavik, Kiruna, Abisko, Jokkmokk, Fairbanks, Anchorage, Yellowknife, Churchill, Murmansk and Nuuk • Open any spot in Apple Maps or Google Maps for directions Aurora AI Ask in your own words, like "Should I go out tonight?" Aurora AI answers from the live forecast, privately on your device. Requires Apple Intelligence on a supported device. More • Personalized setup: a short quiz tunes your alerts to the way you watch the sky • Forecast history • 11 aurora wallpapers • Works offline with your last forecast • Available in 46 languages Northern Lights Tracker Pro unlocks all alerts, detailed sky and space weather data, and unlimited use of every feature. Privacy: https://sites.google.com/view/aurora-forecast-tracker/main Terms: https://sites.google.com/view/aurora-forecast-tracker-terms/main

About

SkyWindow

Features
Read full description

SkyWindow tells you what you can actually see from your backyard tonight — not a generic all-sky chart. YOUR REAL SKY Capture your horizon with your phone (eight compass directions). SkyWindow uses AI to trace trees, roofs, and buildings, then filters every target list to what clears your skyline. TONIGHT'S VERDICT Get a clear GO, MAYBE, or STAY IN call based on cloud cover, wind, moon phase, and how many good targets are up for your site and gear. EQUIPMENT-AWARE TARGETS Add telescopes, binoculars, or a Seestar S30. Targets are matched to your field of view and aperture — no more hunting for objects you can't frame or resolve. PLAN & LOG Drag targets into an observing plan, browse the calendar, and log sessions with notes and what you saw. EVENING REMINDERS Turn on notifications in Profile. Around 8 pm local time, SkyWindow can nudge you when skies look worth opening the app. LANGUAGES English, Deutsch, Francais, Espanol, and Japanese. Change anytime in Profile. SkyWindow is built for amateur astronomers who observe from light-polluted backyards — where the horizon matters as much as the forecast.

Screenshots

Northern Lights Tracker4 screens
SkyWindow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SkyWindow at none against Northern Lights Tracker's 5. On price, ads, 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. Northern Lights Tracker sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. SkyWindow asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Northern Lights Tracker versus SkyWindow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNorthern Lights TrackerSkyWindow
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (192 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews62.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings192 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMehmet Ali DemirAndrew Reilly

Bugs and requests

Northern Lights Tracker

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

SkyWindow

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Northern Lights Tracker

Subscriptions4
  • Weekly3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • week$3.997 Days
  • month3 Days trial$5.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • year$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$49.99
None

SkyWindow

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Northern Lights Tracker free?
Northern Lights Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SkyWindow free?
SkyWindow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Northern Lights Tracker or SkyWindow have ads?
Neither Northern Lights Tracker nor SkyWindow shows ads.

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