Comparison

Lightning Tracker vs Bolted

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

Head to head
About

Lightning Tracker

This app provides real-time lightning strike data on a live map, offering alerts for nearby activity. It helps users plan outdoor activities and stay aware of approaching storms with detailed strike information and weather radar integration.

Highlights
  • Live lightning strike map
  • Nearby strike alerts
  • Ground and intracloud strike types
  • Weather radar integration
  • Closest strike distance and age
  • Optional monthly Pro subscription
Read full description

Lightning Alerts is a live lightning tracker and storm map for nearby strike awareness, powered by enterprise-grade lightning data. Open the map without creating an app account. Check recent strike activity before travel, golf, hiking, boating, surfing, fishing, open-water activities, or everyday weather planning. The map can show both ground-reaching and intracloud strikes. Ground mode helps filter cloud flashes so busy storms are easier to read. What you can see: - Live map of recent strike activity - Nearby alerts for your location or a saved place - No app account required to open the map - Ground-reaching and intracloud strike types - Ground mode to reduce cloud-flash noise - Closest-strike distance, age, direction, and street context - Strike strength, polarity, and detailed strike type - Polarity filter: show only positive or only negative ground strikes - Strength filter and Find > Strongest in view - Weather radar with strikes on the same map - Save one place you care about - Clear controls for alerts, ads, privacy, and analytics - Optional monthly Pro subscription that removes ads Use Lightning Alerts before you head outside, while storms are nearby, or when you want a clearer view of activity around a place. Choose the strike filter, inspect the closest strike, and use notifications to return to the live map when activity changes. Photographers and sprite chasers can show only positive ground strikes, which are less common and often stronger. Tap a strike to see its distance and direction. Lightning Alerts is a weather awareness tool, not an emergency warning system. Always follow official weather alerts, local rules, and venue safety guidance. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Bolted

Receive real-time lightning alerts and safety guidance. Create custom zones to monitor, get shelter countdowns, and receive notifications when it's safe to go outside. Features include live activity updates and Apple Watch integration.

Highlights
  • Real-time lightning monitoring
  • Custom Watch Zones
  • Shelter countdowns
  • Live Activity updates
  • Apple Watch integration
  • Customizable notification frequency
Features
Read full description

Bolted helps you know when lightning is nearby and when it is reasonable to return outside. Great for parents, coaches, and anyone else spending time outside. Create lightning Watch Zones for the places you care about, get lightning alerts when strikes are detected nearby, and follow a clear shelter countdown until conditions improve. Bolted can notify you when the shelter period has ended, show Live Activity updates on your Lock Screen, and keep key status visible from Apple Watch. Features: - Real-time lightning monitoring at current location - See thunder shockwaves in real-time for each strike - GPU-optimized lightning animations and haptics for each strike (you see it and feel it) - Lightning notifications for saved Watch Zones - Countdown to all clear after nearby strikes - All-clear notifications after 30 minutes with no detected lightning - Lock Screen and Dynamic Island Live Activity - Apple Watch Live Activity view - Custom Watch Zone radius - Lightning status: Shelter, Caution, Clear - Recent strike distance and timing - Notification frequency controls - Mute notifications temporarily - Share live storm view with others - Distance metrics in miles or kilometers Terms of Service: https://www.boltedapp.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://www.boltedapp.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

Lightning Tracker4 screens
Bolted4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Bolted at none against Lightning Tracker's shown. Bolted also leads on ratings volume (5 vs 1). Lightning Tracker's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases 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 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month and Bolted sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Lightning Tracker against 5.0 for Bolted. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bolted has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightning Tracker ships an update every 2 days, Bolted fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Lightning Tracker versus Bolted: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightning TrackerBolted
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings15 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLightning Alerts OyHitt Foundry LLC

Customer experience

Lightning Tracker

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bolted

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Lightning Tracker

Subscriptions1
  • Ad-free monthly$0.991 Month
2 purchases

Bolted

Subscriptions2
  • Bolted Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Bolted Pro Annual$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Lightning Tracker free?
Lightning Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bolted free?
Bolted is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lightning Tracker or Bolted?
Lightning Tracker and Bolted are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 5 ratings respectively.
Do Lightning Tracker or Bolted have ads?
Lightning Tracker shows ads; Bolted does not.
Which is updated more often, Lightning Tracker or Bolted?
Lightning Tracker ships an update every 2 days, and Bolted fortnightly. Most recently, Lightning Tracker was updated on October 15, 2026 and Bolted on October 9, 2026.

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