Aurora Forecast vs SpaceWeatherX
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Aurora Forecast
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.
- Real-time aurora forecasts
- Location-based predictions
- KP index and cloud cover data
- Customizable aurora alerts
- Global aurora map
- Aurora viewing tips
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Spot Northern Lights easily with Aurora Forecast App. This app gives you everything you need to know. When, where, and how likely you are to see the aurora, wherever you are in the world. Whether you’re chasing the aurora in Iceland, hoping for a rare display in your hometown, or planning a photography trip to the Arctic Circle, this app keeps you fully prepared with accurate, real-time forecasts and smart alerts. - Real-time aurora forecasts tailored to your location - Live KP index, cloud cover, and visibility data - Solar wind stats ands more - Customizable alerts when aurora activity is expected near you - Forecasts for the future - Global aurora map - Aurora viewing tips and best current locations - Simple, sleek design Built for travelers, photographers, and anyone who doesn’t want to miss the next aurora, this app helps you stay one step ahead and catch the magic when it happens. Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CYJ_YEK2fZHzfMJntkommHBqIdkYoGnQ2lnCUt52C88/ Terms of Use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MvMhZJsr14RA3JatJtIHj-GpTCITxJ1a7NMfelop3wk/
SpaceWeatherX
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Follow solar activity, understand geomagnetic conditions and explore the northern lights with SpaceWeatherX. Bring space-weather observations, aurora conditions and optional phone alerts together in one clear view. SOLAR ACTIVITY AND SUNSPOTS Explore solar activity and open an actual NASA SDO/HMI solar image with its observation time. Zoom in on sunspots and read available NOAA active-region information. Follow Solar Cycle 25 with monthly observations and a separately labelled smoothed trend. GEOMAGNETIC CONDITIONS See planetary Kp history alongside separate interplanetary Bz/Bt and solar-wind measurements. Source times and freshness labels help distinguish current observations from delayed or unavailable data. AURORA CONDITIONS FOR YOUR CITY Check NOAA aurora-model information with local darkness and cloud forecasts. Local weather is provided by Apple Weather. Forecasts describe conditions, not a guarantee that the aurora will be visible. SPACE-WEATHER ALERTS AND CME DETAILS Follow NOAA alerts and choose optional phone notifications in Settings. Explore available NASA DONKI coronal mass ejection analysis, speed, angular width and reported Earth-impact information. Animated Sun-Earth and eruption-site views are illustrative reconstructions, not observations or forecast models. When available, open the original NASA CCMC model separately with its legend and timestamps preserved. OPTIONAL AD-FREE SUBSCRIPTION SpaceWeatherX Plus is an optional auto-renewable annual subscription that removes ads. Data and alerts remain available without a subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. The subscription renews each year unless cancelled before renewal in your App Store account settings. Prices are shown in your local currency before purchase. Restore purchases and manage your subscription in the app. SpaceWeatherX is an informational app, not an emergency or safety-critical warning system. NOAA SWPC remains the operational source for official space-weather alerts. Data availability, forecasts and notification delivery depend on source and provider availability. Languages: English, Croatian, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. Terms of Use (Apple EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://spaceweatherx.com/en/privacy.html Earth imagery: NASA/GSFC Scientific Visualization Studio. Blue Marble Next Generation data: Reto Stockli (NASA/GSFC) and NASA Earth Observatory. City Lights: NASA/GSFC. Sources: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3615/ and https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30003/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Aurora Forecast at none against SpaceWeatherX's shown. Aurora Forecast also leads on chart position (#92 vs unranked). SpaceWeatherX's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases, 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
Both are free to download. Aurora Forecast sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and SpaceWeatherX sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $8.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Aurora Forecast ships an update monthly, SpaceWeatherX every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Aurora Forecast | SpaceWeatherX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (165 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 165 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | #92 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 55 MB | 47 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | Appelio | Ivan Tokic |
In-app purchases
Aurora Forecast
- Aurora Weekly$4.997 Days
- Aurora Weekly Free Trial7 Days trial2 variants$9.997 Days
- Aurora Yearly Free Trial3 Days trial$29.991 Year
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- Aurora Yearly Free Trial7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Aurora Forecast Yearly$49.991 Year
- Northern Lights Tracker$19.99
SpaceWeatherX
- SpaceWeatherX Plus Annual$8.991 Year
Questions
Is Aurora Forecast free?
Is SpaceWeatherX free?
Do Aurora Forecast or SpaceWeatherX have ads?
Which is updated more often, Aurora Forecast or SpaceWeatherX?
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