Comparison

BlitzortungLive vs LightningMaps

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

LightningMaps

Pinpoint the exact location and distance of real-life lightning strikes using your phone's sensors. Simply tap when you see a flash and again when you hear thunder to instantly reveal the strike's coordinates. It's like having a personal lightning detector in your pocket.

Highlights
  • Pinpoint lightning strike locations
  • Measure distance to strikes
  • Intuitive tap-based interface
  • Real-time tracking
  • Safety guidelines included
Features
Read full description

Unleash Your Inner Thor with LightningMaps! With LightningMaps, you can harness the power of Thor himself. The app takes your current location as a reference point, enabling you to pinpoint real life lightning strikes with unmatched precision. Here's how it works: Step 1: When you spot that electrifying flash in the sky, tap your screen. Step 2: Aim your phone in the direction of the lightning, channeling your inner god of thunder and Tap again when the thunder roars. LightningMaps works its magic, revealing the lightning's exact location in an instant.  It's like carrying your very own lightning rod right in your pocket! You see the lightning location and the distance from you. So, feel like Thor and conquer the storm with LightningMasp. Lightning tracking has never been this electrifying! Note: LightningMaps prioritizes safety. Always adhere to safety guidelines when observing thunderstorms.

Screenshots

BlitzortungLive2 screens
LightningMaps2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: LightningMaps at 5.0 against BlitzortungLive's 4.5. LightningMaps also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). BlitzortungLive's advantage is ratings volume (664 vs 1) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.4). On price, update cadence, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LightningMaps holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BlitzortungLive has 664 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BlitzortungLive ships an update every 5 months, LightningMaps every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
BlitzortungLive versus LightningMaps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlitzortungLiveLightningMaps
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (664 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings664 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 8 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarco BauerAndrii Rudenko

Customer experience

BlitzortungLive

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

LightningMaps

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

LightningMaps

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

BlitzortungLive

No in-app purchases

None

LightningMaps

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BlitzortungLive free?
BlitzortungLive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LightningMaps free?
LightningMaps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BlitzortungLive or LightningMaps?
LightningMaps is rated higher. BlitzortungLive averages 4.5 out of 5 from 664 ratings, while LightningMaps averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do BlitzortungLive or LightningMaps have ads?
BlitzortungLive shows ads; LightningMaps does not.
Which is updated more often, BlitzortungLive or LightningMaps?
BlitzortungLive ships an update every 5 months, and LightningMaps every 8 months. Most recently, BlitzortungLive was updated on September 24, 2026 and LightningMaps on September 2, 2026.

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