StrikeCast vs Lightning Tracker & Thunder
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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 with lightning activity
- Customizable alerts for saved locations
- Distance in miles or kilometers
- Approaching and moving-away trends (Pro)
- Animated weather radar (Pro)
- 12-hour thunderstorm forecast (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 EUMETSAT and 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
Lightning Tracker & Thunder
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See lightning strikes in real time — on a live map, on your wrist, and in push alerts when storms move toward you. Lightning Tracker shows where thunder is happening right now: individual strikes colour-coded by age, storm hotspots with strike rate and drift, precipitation radar, a world overview of active regions, and strike history you can scrub through like a timeline. WHY LIGHTNING TRACKER • Real-time lightning map centred on your location • Nearest-strike distance, direction, and trend (closing in or moving away) • Storm cells with strike count, rate per minute, and drift direction • Animated precipitation radar overlay • World view of active storm regions worldwide • Strike history with playback — see what already happened • Flash-to-Bang timer — estimate distance from flash to thunder • Storm-risk forecast and official severe-weather alerts nearby • Push notifications for lightning near your saved locations • Home Screen widget and Apple Watch — glanceable updates everywhere STAY AHEAD OF THE STORM Save alert locations for home, work, the ball field, or anywhere that matters. Choose your radius and quiet hours. Premium unlocks unlimited locations, background alerts, radar, storm rate and drift, and the full 24-hour history. Built for iPhone and iPad. IMPORTANT: Lightning Tracker is for informational use only. Always follow official local warnings and seek shelter when thunderstorms are near. Data coverage varies by region. Download Lightning Tracker and know when thunder is getting close — before you hear it. Terms: https://lightningtracker.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/terms.html Privacy: https://lightningtracker.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Lightning Tracker & Thunder at 5.0 against StrikeCast's 4.3. StrikeCast's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. StrikeCast sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Lightning Tracker & Thunder sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Lightning Tracker & Thunder holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StrikeCast has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
StrikeCast ships an update every 5 days, Lightning Tracker & Thunder every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | StrikeCast | Lightning Tracker & Thunder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (6 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 9 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | Kirill Proskurin | Feynman EinsteinAI Note Taker OU |
Customer experience
StrikeCast
Lightning Tracker & Thunder
In-app purchases
StrikeCast
- StrikeCast Pro$4.997 Days
- StrikeCast Pro$9.991 Month
- Lightning Tracker: Distance Pro1 Year trial$29.991 Year
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- Lightning Tracker: Distance Pro3 Days trial$29.991 Year
Lightning Tracker & Thunder
- Weekly Subscription$5.997 Days
- Yearly Subscription$49.991 Year
Questions
Is StrikeCast free?
Is Lightning Tracker & Thunder free?
Which has better reviews, StrikeCast or Lightning Tracker & Thunder?
Do StrikeCast or Lightning Tracker & Thunder have ads?
Which is updated more often, StrikeCast or Lightning Tracker & Thunder?
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