Lightning Simulator vs Fire Simulator (w/Ads)
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lightning Simulator
Simulate a lightning storm with visual effects using your device's backlight and LED flash, accompanied by realistic thunder audio. Customize storm distance and set sleep timers for a unique ambiance.
- Backlight and LED flash simulation
- Realistic thunder audio
- 5 unique storm types
- Customizable storm distance
- Adjustable sleep timers
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This is for all the lightning lovers out there. Turn your room into a thunderstorm. Lightning plays immersive thunderstorm soundscapes and syncs the light to the thunder: the screen dims to black, then pulses and flashes with every rumble — and on the loudest strikes, fires the camera flash like real lightning. Set the storm's distance and the thunder trails the flash, just as it does in a real storm. Best experienced in a dark room, with the screen and camera flash exposed and the audio through speakers or headphones. Made to fall asleep to. A sleep timer gently fades the audio and light to black instead of cutting out, so it never jolts you awake. FREE • The Starter Storm, full flash + thunder experience • Storm distance (flash-to-thunder delay) • Sleep timer with a gentle fade-out LIGHTNING PRO — one-time purchase, yours forever • Every storm — all six soundscapes • Immersion modes — screen-only, soft ambient glow, and warm-to-cool lightning color • Haptic thunder — feel every strike • Storm control — strike intensity and an approaching-storm mode • Gapless playlists with seamless crossfade • A StandBy / Lock Screen storm clock widget • Longer overnight sleep timers • Save custom presets No accounts, no tracking, no ads. Everything runs on-device. Already bought the old Storm Expansion? Tap Restore, you're upgraded to Lightning Pro for free. Relax and unwind, Go ahead, Enjoy the Storm.
Fire Simulator (w/Ads)
Create a calming ambiance with realistic fire effects and soothing background sounds. Customize fire types, flicker rates, colors, and volume to suit your mood. Includes a sleep timer and Bluetooth/AirPlay support for an enhanced experience.
- Realistic fire simulations
- Customizable fire types (candle, lava, fireplace, campfire)
- Adjustable flicker rate and brightness
- Background sound options (birds, cicadas, crickets, frogs)
- Sleep timer with audio fade-out
- Bluetooth and AirPlay support
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Start a fire on your mobile device. Relax and fall fast asleep to the sounds of crackling wood or bubbling lava. The screen glows and flickers. FIRES • Candlelight — Flickering flame from a candle in the wind • Lava — Molten rock rises and oozes out of the volcano • Fireplace — Glowing fire with wood crackling as it burns • Campfire — Flames dance quickly in the campsite fire SETTINGS Fire • Toggle fire sound effects • Change fire audio: Default, Lava, Fireplace, Campfire • Change fire volume • Change flicker rate: Default, Glow, Slow, Medium, Fast • Change color and brightness of fire light effects Background Sounds • Toggle background sounds: Birds, Cicadas, Crickets, Frogs • Change background sounds volume General • Select mode to automatically start when app opens • Choose time to automatically stop selected mode ADDITIONAL FEATURES • Sleep Timer — Set a timer with a gradual audio fade-out. • Bluetooth and AirPlay Support — Connect to Bluetooth speakers directly, or connect to speakers with AirPlay using the Control Center. Please contact me at support@firestorm.scottdodson.dev if you experience any issues. I'd love to hear your thoughts and appreciate you taking the time to rate and review the app. I want to continue to improve Fire Simulator and create a great experience for you and future users. Thank you! —Scott Ad-free version: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fire-simulator/id1520830640
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Fire Simulator (w/Ads) at none against Lightning Simulator's 2. Fire Simulator (w/Ads) also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (15.0.0 vs 18.0). Lightning Simulator's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (101 vs 1). On price, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Lightning Simulator sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Fire Simulator (w/Ads) asks for nothing beyond the download.
Fire Simulator (w/Ads) holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightning Simulator has 101 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Lightning Simulator ships an update every 4 months, Fire Simulator (w/Ads) every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lightning Simulator | Fire Simulator (w/Ads) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (101 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 86.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 101 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 62 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Foxbit Software Ltd. | Scott Dodson |
Customer experience
Lightning Simulator
Fire Simulator (w/Ads)
In-app purchases
Lightning Simulator
- Storm Expansion Pack$1.99
- Lightning Pro$1.99
Fire Simulator (w/Ads)
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Lightning Simulator free?
Is Fire Simulator (w/Ads) free?
Which has better reviews, Lightning Simulator or Fire Simulator (w/Ads)?
Do Lightning Simulator or Fire Simulator (w/Ads) have ads?
Which is updated more often, Lightning Simulator or Fire Simulator (w/Ads)?
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