Comparison

Lightning Tracker vs Lightning Tracker & Radar App

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

Head to head
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/

About

Lightning Tracker & Radar App

Features
Read full description

Know exactly how close the lightning is. Lightning Tracker shows real lightning strikes detected around you, how far away each one landed, and whether the storm is heading your way — so you can decide to stay out or head in before the first drop of rain. KEY FEATURES: • Real detected strikes — every flash comes from a professional lightning detection network, refreshed continuously. Not a guess from a rain map: the actual strike, with its distance from you. • Distance at a glance — see how far the nearest strike landed and how long the thunder takes to reach you. Under 10 km means you are already within striking range. • Storm cells and arrival time — strikes are grouped into cells with speed and direction, so the app can tell you roughly how many minutes before one reaches your location. • Alerts when it matters — set an alert radius from 5 to 100 km and get notified the moment lightning is detected inside it, at your current location or at any place you save. • Storm risk outlook — hour-by-hour and multi-day thunderstorm risk built from convective forecast models, so you can plan the week, not just the next ten minutes. • Lightning safety, explained — clear guidance for each risk level based on the widely used 30/30 rule, plus a plain-language guide: what counts as real shelter, why a car is safe, and how long to wait after the last thunder. WHO IS IT FOR: Hikers, cyclists, golfers, coaches, groundskeepers, roofers, dog walkers, and anyone with kids in the garden when the sky turns dark. HOW IT WORKS: Saved places let you watch home, the cabin, or the training ground even when you are somewhere else. Strike data comes from a professional lightning detection network, storm risk from Open-Meteo convective forecasts, and warnings from official severe weather services. Lightning Tracker is for personal safety awareness and does not replace official warnings from your national weather service. Detection networks never catch every strike, and storms can move faster than any forecast. Support: hello@britetodo.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://britetodo.com/legal/PrivacyPolicyBrite.pdf

Screenshots

Lightning Tracker4 screens
Lightning Tracker & Radar App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lightning Tracker & Radar App at none against Lightning Tracker's 2. Lightning Tracker & Radar App also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Lightning Tracker & Radar App asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightning Tracker ships an update fortnightly, Lightning Tracker & Radar App every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Lightning Tracker versus Lightning Tracker & Radar App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightning TrackerLightning Tracker & Radar App
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (6 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKurt HigaBrite Technologies

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Lightning Tracker

Subscriptions2
  • Lightning Tracker Pro Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Lightning Tracker Pro Annual3 Days trial$19.991 Year
None

Lightning Tracker & Radar App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lightning Tracker free?
Lightning Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lightning Tracker & Radar App free?
Lightning Tracker & Radar App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Lightning Tracker or Lightning Tracker & Radar App have ads?
Neither Lightning Tracker nor Lightning Tracker & Radar App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lightning Tracker or Lightning Tracker & Radar App?
Lightning Tracker ships an update fortnightly, and Lightning Tracker & Radar App every 5 days. Most recently, Lightning Tracker was updated on September 18, 2026 and Lightning Tracker & Radar App on October 13, 2026.

Other comparisons