Lightning Tracker vs StrikeCast
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Live lightning strike map
- Nearby strike alerts
- Ground and intracloud strike types
- Weather radar integration
- Closest strike distance and age
- Optional monthly Pro subscription
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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 - 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. 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/
StrikeCast
This app provides real-time lightning strike distance and live alerts on a map. Save locations to receive notifications when lightning is detected nearby, even when you're away. It offers a clean interface with no ad clutter.
- Real-time lightning strike distance
- Live map of lightning activity
- Customizable alerts for saved locations
- Distance in miles or kilometers
- Approaching and moving-away trends (Pro)
- Animated weather radar (Pro)
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How close is the lightning? StrikeCast: Lightning Tracker puts the answer front and center. See the approximate distance to the nearest detected strike in miles/km, follow activity on a clean live map, and set alerts for the places you care about. DISTANCE AT A GLANCE • See the nearest detected strike without searching through the map • View distance in miles or kilometers • Check when the latest nearby strike was detected • Explore latest strikes and lightning hotspots • Built on NOAA GOES satellite lightning data ALERTS FOR PLACES THAT MATTER Save a location and choose an alert radius. StrikeCast can notify you when lightning is detected nearby, even when you are somewhere else. Monitor home, work, school, or any place you want to keep an eye on. CALM, CLEAR DESIGN No noisy dashboard and no ad clutter. When the area is quiet, StrikeCast says so. When lightning is nearby, the distance stays easy to find. UPGRADE TO PRO • Real-time strike data with no added free-tier delay • Approaching and moving-away trends • More saved locations and flexible alert radii • Animated weather radar • 12-hour thunderstorm forecast • Extended lightning range PRIVACY FIRST No ads. No cross-app tracking. Your location is used to calculate distance and power the alerts you choose. Lightning detection has inherent latency and location uncertainty. Distances are approximate. StrikeCast is informational and is not a substitute for official weather warnings or emergency guidance. Privacy Policy: https://strikecast.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://strikecast.app/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Lightning Tracker at 5.0 against StrikeCast's 3.0. Lightning Tracker also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 days). StrikeCast's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#174 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Lightning Tracker sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month and StrikeCast sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Lightning Tracker holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.
Lightning Tracker ships an update every 2 days, StrikeCast every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lightning Tracker | StrikeCast |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 3.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 4 days |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #174 — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 63 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lightning Alerts Oy | Kirill Proskurin |
Customer experience
Lightning Tracker
StrikeCast
In-app purchases
Lightning Tracker
- Ad-free monthly$0.991 Month
StrikeCast
- StrikeCast Pro$4.997 Days
- StrikeCast Pro$12.991 Month
- Lightning Tracker: Distance Pro3 Days trial$33.991 Year
Questions
Is Lightning Tracker free?
Is StrikeCast free?
Which has better reviews, Lightning Tracker or StrikeCast?
Do Lightning Tracker or StrikeCast have ads?
Which is updated more often, Lightning Tracker or StrikeCast?
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