# Lightning Alarm vs PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lightning Alarm at 80% against PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast's 33%. Lightning Alarm also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.7) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 74 months). PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lightning Alarm sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year. PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast asks for nothing beyond the download.

Lightning Alarm holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightning Alarm has 890 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Lightning Alarm's written reviews are positive against 33% of PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast's.

Lightning Alarm ships an update every 2 months, PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast every 74 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lightning Alarm | PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (890 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightning-alarm/id1015876499/reviews)** | [2.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/putt-smart-golf-forecast/id1512480268/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **890** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **80.5% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 74 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 79 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Infoplaza BV](https://appshunter.io/developer/419311197) | [Daniel Widjaja](https://appshunter.io/developer/1447878633) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/putt-smart-golf-forecast/id1512480268)

This app provides a 5-day weather forecast specifically tailored for golfers, analyzing conditions for safety and comfort on the greens. It simplifies complex weather data into an easy-to-understand score and conclusion, presented in friendly language.

**Highlights:** 5-day weather forecast, Golf condition suitability score, Safety and comfort analysis, Day and night specific conditions, Weather summary and conclusion, Accurate weather data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lightning Alarm free?

Lightning Alarm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast free?

PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Lightning Alarm or PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast?

Lightning Alarm is rated higher. Lightning Alarm averages 4.5 out of 5 from 890 ratings, while PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast averages 2.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Lightning Alarm or PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast have ads?

Both Lightning Alarm and PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lightning Alarm or PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast?

Lightning Alarm ships an update every 2 months, and PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast every 74 months. Most recently, Lightning Alarm was updated on November 6, 2026 and PUTT! Smart Golf Forecast on November 3, 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.*