OrbView vs Satellite Tracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
OrbView
Visualize satellites, space stations, and debris in real-time from your location. Get predicted pass times, detailed orbital information, and log your sightings. Explore a 3D globe showing all objects in orbit.
- Live satellite tracking
- Predicted pass times
- 3D orbital globe
- Object categorization
- Customizable alerts
- Sighting logging and badges
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Look up at the right moment. OrbView turns your phone into a live window on everything orbiting overhead — the International Space Station, Starlink trains, rocket bodies, and hundreds of satellites you can see with your own eyes. No telescope. No jargon. Just open the app and find out what's crossing your sky tonight. SEE WHAT'S ABOVE YOU, LIVE • A real-time 3D globe shows satellites moving over your exact location right now. • Color-coded by type: the ISS, Starlink, weather and science satellites, rocket bodies, and more. • Tap any object to see where it is and where it's headed. KNOW EXACTLY WHEN TO LOOK UP • Your feed lists upcoming passes with countdowns, direction, and how bright each one will be. • The Sky Score tells you, at a glance, how good tonight's viewing is. • Spot the station and catch a Starlink train while they're actually visible. GET ALERTED BEFORE IT HAPPENS • Flag any pass and OrbView notifies you minutes before it crosses your sky. • Wake up to a morning Daylight Brief of the best passes coming tonight. • Never miss the ISS gliding over your backyard again. GO DEEPER • Full Intel cards tell the story behind every object — what it is, who launched it, and what it does. • Log the passes you spot, build a streak, and earn badges as you go. OrbView is free to use. Upgrade to Pro to remove ads, unlock pass alerts, and read Full Intel on every satellite. Satellite positions are calculated from public orbital (TLE) data. OrbView uses your location only to compute which passes are visible to you. Clear skies — see you out there. OrbView Pro is an optional auto-renewing subscription, billed monthly or yearly. Payment is charged to your Apple ID when you confirm your purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://orbview.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://orbview.app/privacy
Satellite Tracker
Explore a live, 3D map of over 14,000 satellites orbiting Earth in real-time. Discover upcoming visible passes, identify objects in the sky with augmented reality, and learn about each satellite's orbit and history.
- Live 3D satellite map
- Visible pass predictions
- Augmented Reality (AR) mode
- Detailed satellite information
- Offline catalog
- Search and share satellites
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Every satellite in the sky, live on a spinning globe — all 14,000 of them. Satellite Tracker draws the whole catalog moving in real time: Starlink's woven shells, the GPS constellations, the ISS and Tiangong, spent rocket stages and tumbling debris. Filter by constellation or by nation, crank time to 600× and watch low orbits swirl while the geostationary ring hangs still. TONIGHT'S SKY See which satellites you can watch with your own eyes tonight — sunlit passes over your location, with rise direction, peak height and duration. Get an alert 10 minutes before, walk outside, look up. POINT YOUR PHONE AT IT AR mode draws satellites on your real sky. Pick the ISS, follow the arrow, and the station is right where your camera points. EVERY SATELLITE HAS A STORY Tap any dot for altitude, speed, period, inclination and its full orbit ring. Search 14,000 objects by name. Share any satellite with a friend. Works fully offline with a bundled catalog; live orbital elements when connected.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Satellite Tracker at none against OrbView's 2. Satellite Tracker also leads on ads (none vs shown). OrbView's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. OrbView sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Satellite Tracker asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for OrbView against 5.0 for Satellite Tracker. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
OrbView ships an update every 3 weeks, Satellite Tracker every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | OrbView | Satellite Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 45 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | FORTYNINE AND A HALF LABS, LLC | Cinnamon Mobile LLC |
Customer experience
OrbView
Satellite Tracker
In-app purchases
OrbView
- Flyby Pro$1.991 Month
- Flyby Pro$9.991 Year
Satellite Tracker
No in-app purchases









