Comparison

Lightning Tracker vs Lightning Tracker

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 - 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/

About

Lightning Tracker

Track lightning strikes in real-time with live maps and receive push notifications before storms arrive. View precipitation radar, storm intensity hotspots, and NOAA's severe weather outlook. Rewind up to 24 hours of storm activity.

Highlights
  • Live lightning strike map
  • Push notifications for lightning alerts
  • 2-hour precipitation radar playback
  • Storm intensity hotspots
  • NOAA severe storm outlook
  • 24-hour storm rewind
Features
Read full description

See every lightning strike as it happens — and get a push before the storm is overhead. Lightning Tracker turns NOAA's GOES weather satellite into your personal storm warning system. Strikes appear on the map within seconds of hitting the ground, updated every 20 seconds, so you can watch storm cells form, move, and fade in real time. LIVE STRIKE MAP • Every strike plotted live from NOAA's GOES lightning sensor • Color-coded by age — instantly see where the storm is right now, not 15 minutes ago • Nearest-strike card shows exactly how far away lightning is and which direction it's moving ALERTS THAT FIND YOU • Set your alert radius and get a push notification the moment lightning strikes inside it • Watch multiple places at once — home, the cabin, the ballpark, grandma's house • Alerts work even when the app is closed KNOW WHAT'S COMING • Radar: 2-hour precipitation playback, frame by frame — see the rain that rides with the storm • Hotspots: live storm zones ranked by intensity and distance from you • Forecast: NOAA's official severe-storm outlook for today, tomorrow, and day 3 REWIND THE STORM • Scrub back through 24 hours of lightning, hour by hour • See exactly where last night's storm tracked — and whether it hit your street BUILT FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED TO KNOW Golfers, boaters, hikers, coaches, event organizers, storm watchers, and anyone who's ever stood on an open field wondering if that rumble was close. If lightning is within your radius, you'll know before you hear the thunder. LIGHTNING TRACKER PRO Go further with Pro: extend your alert radius up to 186 miles, unlock radar playback and the 24-hour storm rewind, and watch unlimited saved locations. Free users get the live strike map and alerts up to 31 miles — forever. Download now and never get caught in the open again. Privacy Policy: https://lightningmap.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Lightning Tracker4 screens
Lightning Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Lightning Tracker at none against Lightning Tracker's shown. Lightning Tracker also leads on ratings volume (6 vs 1). Lightning Tracker's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). On price, rating, 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

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 Lightning Tracker sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. 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 Lightning Tracker. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightning Tracker has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightning Tracker ships an update every 2 days, Lightning Tracker fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Lightning Tracker versus Lightning Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightning TrackerLightning Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings16 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLightning Alerts OyKurt Higa

Customer experience

Lightning Tracker

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

Lightning Tracker

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Lightning Tracker

Subscriptions1
  • Ad-free monthly$0.991 Month
2 purchases

Lightning Tracker

Subscriptions2
  • Lightning Tracker Pro Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Lightning Tracker Pro Annual3 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Lightning Tracker free?
Lightning Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lightning Tracker free?
Lightning Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lightning Tracker or Lightning Tracker?
Lightning Tracker and Lightning Tracker are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 6 ratings respectively.
Do Lightning Tracker or Lightning Tracker have ads?
Lightning Tracker shows ads; Lightning Tracker does not.
Which is updated more often, Lightning Tracker or Lightning Tracker?
Lightning Tracker ships an update every 2 days, and Lightning Tracker fortnightly. Most recently, Lightning Tracker was updated on September 25, 2026 and Lightning Tracker on September 18, 2026.

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