Disclosure: Lightning Tracker publishes this guide and includes its own product. We have no affiliation with WeatherBug, Earth Networks, My Lightning Tracker, Storm Radar, or Blitzortung. Product facts were checked against current official pages on July 15, 2026; prices, availability, and features can change by platform, region, and subscription.
Best Lightning Tracker App by Use Case
No lightning app is best for everyone. For transparent satellite-source documentation, free public maps, and saved-area phone alerts, start with Lightning Tracker. Choose WeatherBug when lightning is one part of a full weather app; Storm Radar when radar and local weather alerts are the main workflow; My Lightning Tracker when a simple worldwide map is the priority; or Blitzortung for a free community web visualization that is explicitly not a protection system.
Test the live lightning map, compare it with the radar context, and read the source and coverage methodology before relying on any product for a specific place.
How We Selected and Checked These Products
We used five criteria that can be checked without inventing a universal score:
- Source transparency: whether the publisher names the lightning provider and explains what the signal represents.
- Coverage: whether the claimed region matches the documented network or satellite footprint, with regional caveats.
- Alert function: lightning proximity, local weather, severe-weather, or radar alerts—and whether availability varies.
- Cost model: free web access, ads, in-app purchases, freemium access, or a separate paid product.
- Safety limits: whether the product avoids presenting detections as guaranteed protection or an official warning.
How Lightning Detection Sources Differ
Radio-based lightning networks are not all the same. They use distributed sensors and timing or direction techniques, and network density affects performance. Modern total-lightning systems such as the Earth Networks Total Lightning Network can detect both intra-cloud (IC) and cloud-to-ground (CG) activity; it is false to say every ground network sees only CG lightning.
Satellite instruments such as NOAA GOES GLM and EUMETSAT MTG LI detect optical flashes across broad areas, including substantial intra-cloud activity. Their tradeoffs include coarser geolocation than dense local radio networks, viewing-angle effects, cloud/illumination limitations, and provider-to-screen delay. A satellite marker is not a guaranteed classified ground strike. See the Lightning Tracker methodology for current source boundaries and cadence.
Lightning App Comparison
| Product | Disclosed lightning source | Coverage claim | Alerts | Cost model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning Tracker | NOAA GOES East/West GLM; EUMETSAT MTG-I1 LI | Public maps: US, Canada, UK | Saved-area lightning/storm alerts in app | Free public web maps; mobile freemium |
| WeatherBug | Earth Networks Total Lightning Network | Feature coverage varies by region/platform | Spark proximity plus weather alerts | Free with ads; optional ad-free subscription |
| My Lightning Tracker | Not disclosed in current store listings | Listings claim worldwide maps | Nearby lightning alerts claimed | Free ad-supported app; separate paid Pro |
| Storm Radar | Not disclosed on current product/store pages | Availability/features vary | Lightning, radar, local weather, NOAA/NWS warnings | Free with ads/IAP; premium access varies |
| Blitzortung | Volunteer VLF/TOA community network | Global visualization; density/accuracy vary | No official push-alert app | Free non-commercial public web map |
Lightning Tracker
Lightning Tracker documents its active sources: NOAA GOES-19 East and GOES-18 West GLM for United States and Canada maps, and EUMETSAT MTG-I1 LI for the United Kingdom regional map. Fixed source bands prevent overlapping satellite observations from being counted twice. The mobile app adds saved-area alerts and storm context; public web maps remain available without an account.
Good fit: people who want a source-transparent lightning map, public US/Canada/UK routes, and a direct path from web checking to phone alerts. Limits: satellite instruments detect optical flashes, including intra-cloud activity. Markers are not guaranteed ground strikes, availability and latency vary, and Lightning Tracker is not an official warning service. It does not promise public-map coverage for APAC, Australia, or New Zealand.
WeatherBug
WeatherBug identifies Earth Networks as its lightning-data ecosystem. The Earth Networks Total Lightning Network detects both intra-cloud and cloud-to-ground activity. WeatherBug's Spark feature provides lightning proximity context alongside forecasts, radar, and weather alerts.
Good fit: users who prefer one broad weather app rather than a lightning-first tool. Limits: feature coverage and access can vary by region and platform. Current official listings show a free, ad-supported model with an optional ad-free subscription; check the current listing before purchasing.
My Lightning Tracker
Current official listings advertise worldwide lightning maps, near-real-time activity, radar, and alerts for nearby strikes. Those listings do not name the underlying lightning provider, so this guide does not attribute the app to Blitzortung or another network.
Good fit: users seeking a focused lightning-map interface with broad claimed coverage. Limits: source transparency is weaker than products that publish their provider and methodology. The standard app is free and ad-supported, while Pro is a separate paid product; current store pricing can change and is not reproduced here.
Storm Radar
Storm Radar emphasizes weather radar, lightning, local weather alerts, and NOAA/NWS warning context. Its current standalone product and iOS pages do not disclose the lightning-network provider, so the comparison records the source as undisclosed rather than guessing.
Good fit: users whose primary job is following precipitation and storm structure with lightning as an additional layer. Limits: lightning, alert, and premium feature access varies. Current listings use a free ad-supported/in-app-purchase model; verify platform and region support.
Blitzortung
Blitzortung is a volunteer-operated VLF time-of-arrival community network with a free global public web visualization. Station density, geometry, and local radio conditions affect coverage and location accuracy. It is a network and map community, not an official push-alert app.
Good fit: hobbyists and users who want to explore community detections on a global web map. Limits: Blitzortung is non-commercial and explicitly says its data must not be used to protect people or equipment. Use official warnings and dedicated safety procedures for operational decisions.
Quick Choice Guide
- Transparent satellite sources + public US/Canada/UK maps: Lightning Tracker.
- Full weather app with total-lightning proximity context: WeatherBug.
- Simple worldwide lightning-map claim: My Lightning Tracker; verify local behavior because provider is undisclosed.
- Radar-first storm workflow: Storm Radar; verify platform-specific premium access.
- Free community global web visualization: Blitzortung; never treat it as a protection system.
Start with the live lightning map, check closest recent lightning, or review the saved-area alert workflow. For safety, follow lightning shelter guidance and official local warnings regardless of which app you choose.