Comparison

Global Surface Winds vs Aurora Expert

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Global Surface Winds

Visualize global wind patterns with this interactive mapping application. It transforms data from the USDOC into an easy-to-use mobile tool for understanding wind conditions worldwide.

Highlights
  • Interactive wind mapping
  • Global wind data visualization
  • USDOC data integration
  • Mobile application interface
  • Ease of use
Features
Read full description

The Global Surface Winds App takes data from the USDOC and turns it into an interactive mobile mapping application for ease of use.

About

Aurora Expert

Features
Read full description

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

Global Surface Winds3 screens
Aurora Expert4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Global Surface Winds at none against Aurora Expert's 1. Global Surface Winds also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). Aurora Expert's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 20 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Aurora Expert sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Global Surface Winds asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Global Surface Winds ships an update every 20 months, Aurora Expert every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Global Surface Winds versus Aurora Expert: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGlobal Surface WindsAurora Expert
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developercorey hoggardMark Baumann

In-app purchases

None

Global Surface Winds

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Aurora Expert

One-time1
  • Aurora Export Pro Unlock$4.99

Questions

Is Global Surface Winds free?
Global Surface Winds is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Aurora Expert free?
Aurora Expert is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Global Surface Winds or Aurora Expert have ads?
Global Surface Winds shows ads; Aurora Expert does not.
Which is updated more often, Global Surface Winds or Aurora Expert?
Global Surface Winds ships an update every 20 months, and Aurora Expert every 5 days. Most recently, Global Surface Winds was updated on October 11, 2026 and Aurora Expert on October 6, 2026.

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