Comparison

OrbView vs Satellite Tracker

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Live satellite tracking
  • Predicted pass times
  • 3D orbital globe
  • Object categorization
  • Customizable alerts
  • Sighting logging and badges
Features
Read full description

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

About

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.

Highlights
  • Live 3D satellite map
  • Visible pass predictions
  • Augmented Reality (AR) mode
  • Detailed satellite information
  • Offline catalog
  • Search and share satellites
Features
Read full description

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

OrbView4 screens
Satellite Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
OrbView versus Satellite Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOrbViewSatellite Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings5 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFORTYNINE AND A HALF LABS, LLCCinnamon Mobile LLC

Customer experience

OrbView

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Satellite Tracker

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

OrbView

Subscriptions2
  • Flyby Pro$1.991 Month
  • Flyby Pro$9.991 Year
None

Satellite Tracker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OrbView free?
OrbView is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Satellite Tracker free?
Satellite Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, OrbView or Satellite Tracker?
OrbView and Satellite Tracker are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do OrbView or Satellite Tracker have ads?
OrbView shows ads; Satellite Tracker does not.
Which is updated more often, OrbView or Satellite Tracker?
OrbView ships an update every 3 weeks, and Satellite Tracker every 6 weeks. Most recently, OrbView was updated on November 10, 2026 and Satellite Tracker on November 1, 2026.

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