Comparison

Lightning Tracker vs Lightning Tracker & Thunder

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 & Thunder

Features
Read full description

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

Lightning Tracker4 screens
Lightning Tracker & Thunder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Lightning Tracker & Thunder at weekly against Lightning Tracker's every 4 weeks. 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. Lightning Tracker sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightning Tracker ships an update every 4 weeks, Lightning Tracker & Thunder weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Lightning Tracker versus Lightning Tracker & Thunder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightning TrackerLightning Tracker & Thunder
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (8 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB44 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperKurt HigaFeynman EinsteinAI Note Taker OU

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Lightning Tracker

Subscriptions2
  • Lightning Tracker Pro Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Lightning Tracker Pro Annual3 Days trial$19.991 Year
2 purchases

Lightning Tracker & Thunder

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly Subscription$5.997 Days
  • Yearly Subscription$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Lightning Tracker free?
Lightning Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lightning Tracker & Thunder free?
Lightning Tracker & Thunder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Lightning Tracker or Lightning Tracker & Thunder have ads?
Neither Lightning Tracker nor Lightning Tracker & Thunder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lightning Tracker or Lightning Tracker & Thunder?
Lightning Tracker ships an update every 4 weeks, and Lightning Tracker & Thunder weekly. Most recently, Lightning Tracker was updated on October 28, 2026 and Lightning Tracker & Thunder on November 1, 2026.

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