Comparison

BlitzortungLive vs Lightning Alarm

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

Head to head
About

BlitzortungLive

Monitor lightning strikes in near real-time on a map. Receive push alerts for detected strikes in a customizable area. Supports multiple languages and displays historical strike data.

Highlights
  • Live lightning strike display
  • Historical strike visualization
  • Customizable push alerts
  • Multi-language support
  • Real-time map view
Features
Read full description

BlitzortungLive is an Application for monitoring Lightning-Strikes at nearly realtime. BlitzortungLive can be used for watching and monitoring Thunderstorms. The Lightning-Strikes are displayed nearly in realtime on the Map. Features: - Live display of Lightning-Strikes - older Strikes are displayed as colored dots on the Map - Push Alarm if Lightning-Strikes are detected in a customizable area. - Language support for English, German, French, Spain and Russian The App Blitzortung-Live is an additional service to the main project Blitzortung.org (http://www.blitzortung.org). For general questions about Blitzortung.org and for ordering the necessary hardware if you want to be a part of the Network, visit the Link. Please consider the appropriate documentation, FAQs and instructions before contacting. Also, the discussion board is a good place for all questions and they will be quickly answered there. A lot of questions have already been answered there.

About

Lightning Alarm

Receive timely notifications about approaching thunderstorms and lightning strikes in your vicinity. This app provides accurate lightning detection and displays real-time information on a map, ensuring safety during outdoor activities.

Highlights
  • Real-time lightning detection
  • Approaching storm notifications
  • Lightning distance display
  • Map view of lightning strikes
  • Textual storm information
  • Push message alerts
Features
Read full description

Always safe with Lightning Alarm. You will be notified if a thunderstorm is in your area. The lightning detection is very accurate and the (automated) notifications are essential for safe outdoor activities. At a glance you can see the nearest lightning. Displayed on the map and in text, you see the current distance from the thunderstorm to your location. You can even set up a push message, notifying you for approaching storms. This App is unique and a must for your safety during outdoor activities. The information is based on the detection network of Meteoplaza.com. With this network 98% of all lightning discharges are detected, resulting in a high quality of the warnings! Lightning Alarm, you have been warned! Lightning Alarm Premium can be purchased through iTunes for € 3.49 per year. € 3.49 will be charged within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Subscriptions are user-managed and auto-renewal can be turned off by going to Apple ID settings. By purchasing Lightning Alarm Premium you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Privacy statement: https://www.infoplaza.nl/en/about-us/disclaimer-privacy/ Terms of Service: https://www.infoplaza.nl/en/about-us/terms-of-use-lightning-alarm/

Screenshots

BlitzortungLive2 screens
Lightning Alarm4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BlitzortungLive at none against Lightning Alarm's 4. BlitzortungLive also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.4). Lightning Alarm's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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 Alarm sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year. BlitzortungLive asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for BlitzortungLive against 4.5 for Lightning Alarm. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 664 and 889 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of BlitzortungLive's written reviews are positive against 80% of Lightning Alarm's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BlitzortungLive ships an update every 5 months, Lightning Alarm every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
BlitzortungLive versus Lightning Alarm: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlitzortungLiveLightning Alarm
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (664 ratings)4.5 (889 ratings)
Positive reviews75.3% of reviews80.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings664889 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB79 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarco BauerInfoplaza BV

Customer experience

BlitzortungLive

All ratings664 ratings
Positive89.6%
Neutral5.0%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews267 reviews
Positive75.3%
Neutral7.5%
Negative17.2%

Lightning Alarm

All ratings889 ratings
Positive88.3%
Neutral5.2%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews533 reviews
Positive80.5%
Neutral5.3%
Negative14.3%

User reviews

BlitzortungLive

From 664 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Real-time lightning tracking
  • 📍 Accurate location of strikes
  • 🔔 Useful alerts and notifications
  • 🌐 Global coverage
  • 🆓 Free app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 🔍 Inconsistent detection of strikes
  • 🗺️ Outdated or inaccurate map data
  • 🔍 Lack of detailed strike information
  • 💰 Intrusive advertising

Lightning Alarm

From 889 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐️ Excellent app
  • 👍 Works great
  • 🚀 Accurate and precise
  • 🔔 Helpful notifications
  • 🌩️ Tracks lightning effectively

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes or freezes
  • ⚠️ Inaccurate or unreliable
  • 🔍 Difficult to set location
  • 🔢 Metric units not preferred

Bugs and requests

BlitzortungLive

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes on startup
  • Delayed or missing strike notifications
  • Inaccurate location of strikes
  • Issues with map updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Customizable alert radius
  • Historical lightning data
  • Weather radar integration
  • Ability to report missing strikes
  • Option to remove ads

Lightning Alarm

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Notifications not working
  • Map tiles not loading properly
  • App crashing on launch

Requested features

4 requests
  • Option to switch between miles and kilometers
  • Add multiple locations to track
  • Improve map visuals and details
  • Customizable alert radius

In-app purchases

None

BlitzortungLive

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Lightning Alarm

Subscriptions1
  • Lightning Alarm Premium$2.991 Year
One-time3
  • 1 month ad free$0.99
  • 3 months ad free$1.99
  • 1 year ad free$2.99

Questions

Is BlitzortungLive free?
BlitzortungLive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lightning Alarm free?
Lightning Alarm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BlitzortungLive or Lightning Alarm?
BlitzortungLive and Lightning Alarm are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 664 and 889 ratings respectively.
Do BlitzortungLive or Lightning Alarm have ads?
Both BlitzortungLive and Lightning Alarm show ads.
Which is updated more often, BlitzortungLive or Lightning Alarm?
BlitzortungLive ships an update every 5 months, and Lightning Alarm every 2 months. Most recently, BlitzortungLive was updated on September 24, 2026 and Lightning Alarm on September 22, 2026.

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