Comparison

Aurora Forecast vs Rockets

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

Head to head
About

Aurora Forecast

This app provides clear, plain-language forecasts and real-time alerts for the Northern Lights. It interprets complex space weather data to tell you if it's worth looking up tonight and notifies you when the aurora is likely overhead.

Highlights
  • Plain-language aurora chance reading
  • Real-time alerts for likely overhead aurora
  • 3-day Kp outlook and solar-wind snapshot
  • Dark aurora map with live oval display
  • Aurora sighting log and photo diary
  • Plain-English explainers for aurora phenomena
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The night the aurora finally reaches your sky, you don't want to hear about it the next morning. Aurora Forecast: Borealis tells you — in plain language — whether it's worth stepping outside tonight, and alerts you the moment the lights are likely overhead and the sky is dark where you are. If you've ever chased the northern lights, you know the routine: a dozen browser tabs, a "Kp" number that means nothing without a decoder ring, three apps that disagree, and the quiet fear that the best display of the year happened while you were inside. Most forecasts hand you raw space-weather data and leave you to guess what it means for where you're standing. Borealis does the interpreting for you. IS IT WORTH LOOKING UP TONIGHT? • One clear "chance overhead" reading for your exact location — not a generic global number • An honest one-line verdict that accounts for darkness and moonlight, not just Kp • The numbers that matter, in plain sight: Kp, how far south the oval reaches, darkness, the moon • A "next best night" hint so you know when it's worth planning around REAL FORECASTS, NOT RAW NUMBERS • A 3-day Kp outlook and a live solar-wind snapshot • Built on live NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center data and the OVATION aurora model • Unlock the extended hourly probability and 27-day outlook with Pro GET THE ALERT, NOT THE REGRET (PRO) • A push the moment the aurora is likely overhead and your sky is dark • Set your own probability threshold — only get woken up when it's genuinely worth it • A live preview that shows whether tonight's conditions would alert you SEE HOW FAR SOUTH THE LIGHTS REACH (PRO) • A dark aurora map centered on you, with the OVATION oval drawn live • Watch the band push south toward your latitude in real time • Share a snapshot of the map in one tap KEEP AN AURORA DIARY (PRO) • Log every sighting with the date, place, Kp and a photo • Location, Kp and chance are filled in for you automatically • Export and share your whole record LEARN TO READ — AND SHOOT — THE SKY • Plain-English explainers for Kp, the auroral oval, OVATION, Bz, substorms and more • Starter camera settings for your first night shoot, so the lights actually make it into the photo BUILT FOR REAL LIFE • Aurora chasers who'd rather sleep than stake out a dead sky • People who just moved north and refuse to miss their first winter • Travelers in Iceland, Tromsø, Fairbanks or Yellowknife with a night or two to get lucky • Night photographers who want the shot, not the all-nighter • Anyone tired of three apps that never agree PRIVATE BY DEFAULT No account. No sign-up. Your sighting log and photos stay on your device, and Borealis uses your location only to work out your local forecast and alerts. AURORA PRO Aurora Pro unlocks alerts, the full map, the sighting log and the extended forecast. It's available as a weekly or annual subscription, or a one-time Lifetime purchase. • Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period • Your Apple ID is charged on confirmation and at each renewal • Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Stop refreshing five tabs and hoping. Let Borealis watch the sky for you — and tap you on the shoulder the night it's finally worth heading out. Download Aurora Forecast: Borealis and never sleep through the lights again.

About

Rockets

Features
Read full description

Rockets is a personal launch-day companion for spaceflight fans who want to know what is worth watching, what changed, and what to do next. Today highlights the next relevant mission and source freshness. Explore keeps the 3D globe, search, Mission Planner, and Launch Pulse. My Missions saves a complete local journey, while Launch Room combines the countdown, status, source details, change history, Calendar, Live Activity, and alert controls. Mission Control is the existing optional EUR 4.99 one-time purchase. It unlocks unlimited watched missions and advanced enthusiast tools forever. There is no subscription, trial, recurring billing, account, or Rockets-operated backend. Existing Mission Control buyers receive the Rockets 2 paid capabilities automatically after StoreKit restoration. Explore launch sites on a 3D globe, search pads and missions, compare recent and upcoming launches, and use Mission Planner to filter missions by provider, orbit, status, timing, and weather or hold concerns. Add selected launch windows to Calendar and start a Live Activity for upcoming missions. Rockets uses Launch Library 2 for launch schedules and launch pad data. If launch-site data is temporarily unavailable, the app may use OpenStreetMap Overpass as a fallback for public launch-site map data.

Screenshots

Aurora Forecast4 screens
Rockets3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Rockets at every 8 days against Aurora Forecast's every 2 months. Aurora Forecast's advantage is chart position (#189 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Aurora Forecast sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Rockets sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Aurora Forecast ships an update every 2 months, Rockets every 8 days. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Aurora Forecast versus Rockets: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAurora ForecastRockets
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#189 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMobile Card Games & Travel Apps LLCMirco Schoepf

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Aurora Forecast

Subscriptions2
  • Aurora Pro Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Aurora Pro Annual$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Aurora Pro Lifetime$24.99
  • Aurora Pro Lifetime$49.99
1 purchases

Rockets

One-time1
  • Mission Control$3.99

Questions

Is Aurora Forecast free?
Aurora Forecast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Rockets free?
Rockets is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Aurora Forecast or Rockets have ads?
Neither Aurora Forecast nor Rockets shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Aurora Forecast or Rockets?
Aurora Forecast ships an update every 2 months, and Rockets every 8 days. Most recently, Aurora Forecast was updated on October 14, 2026 and Rockets on October 14, 2026.

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