Florida Storms vs Aurora Expert
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Florida Storms
Stay informed about severe weather with real-time alerts and an interactive map. Get audio and text updates from emergency networks, hurricane center forecasts, and evacuation zone information. Prepare for any weather event with checklists and expert meteorologist insights.
- Interactive real-time storm mapping
- Live audio and text alerts from emergency networks
- Hurricane Center tropical weather updates
- Evacuation zone and storm surge path identification
- Push notifications from multiple official sources
- Preparation checklists for weather emergencies
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Everything you need, nothing you don't. Florida Storms is not just another weather app with a radar. It's a clean and fast interactive map that alerts you to every storm, while at the same time delivers credible real-‐time audio and text alerts from the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network. Using a combination of Baron's exclusive storm track algorithms and the expertise of a meteorologist, you're certain to receive the most up-to-date information on any potential weather hazard. View the latest tropical weather updates from the National Hurricane Center, find out if you’re in an evacuation zone, check if you're in the path of a dangerous storm surge, or just review a checklist of items your family should have in case of a weather emergency. Once you have Florida Storms, you won't need multiple apps to prepare for the next "big one". Whether it's just a routine lightning storm that might send you indoors or a major hurricane threatening your neighborhood, Florida Storms is the simplest and fastest way to stay informed of mother nature's next move. Features of Florida Storms include... - Live radio stream of the nearest Florida Public Radio Emergency Network partner station, with option to choose from 12 others in the state in case of evacuation or traveling - Push notifications from multiple sources, including the National Weather Service, the National Hurricane Center, Baron's exclusive Doppler radar, and local emergency management personnel - The ability to set up alerts for other locations, such as your second home, vacation or evacuation destination. - Interactive real-time mapping of high-resolution radar, lightning, future radar, satellite, hurricanes and forecast models. - Our favorite feature: “The feeds” offer real-time filtering of information from official sources, such as the nearest National Weather Service office, the National Hurricane Center, Florida Department of Transportation, the FPREN Storm Center and local emergency management offices. - A simple, effective way to learn how to prepare for the next weather disaster, including what to do before, during, and after a storm - Updates from certified FPREN meteorologists, including Facebook Live videos and blog articles. Florida Storms is completely free and developed by the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, in partnership with the University of Florida and Baron Critical Weather Intelligence. Updates from the Storm Center are provided by a team of certified meteorologists at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, and are also available on your local Florida public radio station's website or over the air. The Florida Public Radio Emergency Network partners stations are WUWF (Pensacola), WFSU (Tallahassee), WKGC (Panama City), WUFT (Gainesville), WJCT (Jacksonville), WMFE (Orlando), WMNF and WUSF (Tampa-‐St. Petersburg), WFIT (Melbourne), WQCS (Ft. Pierce), WGCU (Ft. Myers), WDNA (Miami, and WLRN (Miami). Repeater stations include WJUF (Inverness), WMKO (Marco), WUCF (Orlando), WFSQ (Tallahassee), and WXEL (Miami). More information about the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network can be found at www.floridastorms.org.
Aurora Expert
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Aurora Expert tells you whether the northern lights are worth going out for tonight — and if you're planning a trip to chase them, it helps you pick the right nights and spots. Most aurora apps just show you a Kp number and leave you to guess. This one actually does the maths. It pulls in live space-weather data from NOAA, runs it through the OVATION auroral model, then weighs it against your cloud cover, how dark it gets, the moon, and local light pollution — and gives you a straight answer: what are my odds tonight, right where I'm standing? And when the answer is "not tonight," it tells you what's getting in the way rather than dressing it up. TONIGHT, AT A GLANCE • A clear yes/no/maybe for your exact spot • A live 3D aurora globe you can scrub backwards and forwards ±12 hours • A plain-English breakdown of what's helping and what's hurting your chances • A 3-day outlook with the best window to head out each night AURORA EXPERT (one-time unlock, no subscription) • Trip Planner: map out multi-night trips with a go/no-go timeline for each night, where to base yourself, and which dates look best • Deep Dive: live solar-wind charts (Bz, speed, density), Kp and Hp30 history, Newell coupling, plus storm and substorm watches • Save as many spots as you like, anywhere in the world • Alerts for every spot you save NO NONSENSE No account to make, no tracking, no ads. Your location stays on your device for the forecast and only goes to Apple WeatherKit to fetch cloud data. And if a data feed goes down, the app says so instead of guessing. Data sources: NOAA SWPC, NASA, GFZ Potsdam, Apple WeatherKit.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Florida Storms at none against Aurora Expert's 1. Florida Storms also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). Aurora Expert's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months). On price 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. Aurora Expert sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Florida Storms asks for nothing beyond the download.
Florida Storms ships an update every 3 months, Aurora Expert every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Florida Storms | Aurora Expert |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (39 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 39 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 80 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | University of Florida | Mark Baumann |
In-app purchases
Florida Storms
No in-app purchases
Aurora Expert
- Aurora Export Pro Unlock$4.99
Questions
Is Florida Storms free?
Is Aurora Expert free?
Do Florida Storms or Aurora Expert have ads?
Which is updated more often, Florida Storms or Aurora Expert?
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