# BlitzortungLive vs Lightning Alarm

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.

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.

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.

BlitzortungLive ships an update every 5 months, Lightning Alarm every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BlitzortungLive | Lightning Alarm |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (664 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blitzortunglive/id933558423/reviews) | [4.5 (889 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightning-alarm/id1015876499/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 664 | **889** |
| Positive reviews | 75.3% of reviews | **80.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 15 MB | 79 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marco Bauer](https://appshunter.io/developer/933558422) | [Infoplaza BV](https://appshunter.io/developer/419311197) |

## What reviewers say

### BlitzortungLive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blitzortunglive/id933558423)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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- 🗺️ Outdated or inaccurate map data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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Lightning Alarm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightning-alarm/id1015876499)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lightning Alarm Premium | $2.99 | per year |
| 1 month ad free | $0.99 | one-time |
| 3 months ad free | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1 year ad free | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications not working
- Map tiles not loading properly
- App crashing on launch

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked 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 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*