# Aurora Forecast vs Aurora Buddy

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Aurora Buddy at 100% against Aurora Forecast's 50%. Aurora Buddy also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 7) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Aurora Forecast's advantage is ratings volume (165 vs 8) and chart position (#122 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aurora Forecast sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Aurora Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Aurora Buddy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aurora Forecast has 165 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Aurora Forecast's written reviews are positive against 100% of Aurora Buddy's.

Aurora Forecast ships an update monthly, Aurora Buddy every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aurora Forecast | Aurora Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (165 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-forecast-borealis-map/id6752933257/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-buddy/id6757205504/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **165** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#122** | — |
| Size | 55 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Appelio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1616494815) | [Harsh Patel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1865290844) |

## What reviewers say

### Aurora Forecast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-forecast-borealis-map/id6752933257)

**Currently charting:** #122 Top Grossing · Weather (US App Store)

Track the Northern Lights with real-time forecasts and smart alerts. Get detailed information on aurora activity, KP index, and visibility for your location, helping you plan the perfect viewing experience.

**Highlights:** Real-time aurora forecasts, Location-based predictions, KP index and cloud cover data, Customizable aurora alerts, Global aurora map, Aurora viewing tips

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aurora Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Aurora Weekly Free Trial | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Aurora Yearly Free Trial | $29.99 | per year |
| Aurora Yearly Free Trial | $29.99 | per year |
| Aurora Forecast Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Northern Lights Tracker | $19.99 | one-time |


### Aurora Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-buddy/id6757205504)

This app provides hyper-local aurora borealis predictions and alerts based on solar wind data and local weather. It helps users find the best viewing conditions with cloud cover and light pollution maps, and offers long-range forecasts for planning.

**Highlights:** Hyper-local aurora probability, Flight aurora viewing planner, Smart background location alerts, Interactive cloud cover maps, Light pollution data overlay, 5-day long-range forecasts

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aurora Forecast free?

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

### Is Aurora Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Aurora Forecast or Aurora Buddy?

Aurora Buddy is rated higher. Aurora Forecast averages 4.6 out of 5 from 165 ratings, while Aurora Buddy averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do Aurora Forecast or Aurora Buddy have ads?

Neither Aurora Forecast nor Aurora Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Aurora Forecast or Aurora Buddy?

Aurora Forecast ships an update monthly, and Aurora Buddy every 10 days. Most recently, Aurora Forecast was updated on November 5, 2026 and Aurora Buddy on October 31, 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.*