Comparison

UAV Forecast vs Shadowmap

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

Head to head
About

UAV Forecast

This app provides a comprehensive weather forecast and flight condition analysis for drone pilots. It includes hyperlocal wind data, GPS satellite information, solar activity, and no-fly zones. Get color-coded "Good To Fly" or "Not Good To Fly" assessments with customizable thresholds.

Highlights
  • Hyperlocal wind and gust speeds
  • GPS satellite data (Galileo, GLONASS)
  • Solar weather (Kp) index
  • No-Fly Zone and flight restrictions
  • Hourly forecasts up to 15 days
  • Color-coded flight condition analysis
  • Configurable thresholds
Features
Read full description

When will it be good to fly your quadcopter? See the weather forecast, GPS satellites, solar activity (Kp), No-Fly Zones and flight restrictions, all in one convenient tool. Perfect for DJI Neo, Mini, Mavic, Air, Inspire, FPV, and Hover, Autel and Skydio drones, and many other Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Systems. UAV Forecast is the original, best, and classic tool for drone pilots. Suitable for both beginners and advanced pilots, recreational and commercial, features include: • Hyperlocal weather data, including detailed wind and gust speeds at ground level and at any altitude. • GPS satellite data including Galileo and GLONASS, solar weather (Kp) index, and more. • Hourly forecasts up to 15 days. • Automatic color-coded analysis of the conditions: green for Good To Fly, red for Not Good To Fly. • Fully configurable thresholds. • Light and Dark themes, with automatic switching at sunrise and sunset. • Location search and Favorite Locations. • Full tablet support. Our users include paraglider and paramotor pilots too. Become a subscriber for 24-hour, 7-day, or 15-day hourly forecast and many other features. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period at the same price you originally paid. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Terms: https://www.uavforecast.com/terms

About

Shadowmap

Analyze sunlight and shadows for any location worldwide. Optimize solar energy, assess real estate, plan photography, and find ideal outdoor spots. Offers advanced 3D editing and data export capabilities.

Highlights
  • Sun and shadow simulation
  • Solar energy optimization
  • Real estate and architecture analysis
  • Photography and cinematography planning
  • 3D world editing
  • Solar data export to CSV
Features
Read full description

Shadowmap shows where the sun shines and where shadows fall – for any rooftop, street, or garden on Earth. Built on global building, tree, and terrain data, it simulates sunlight down to the minute, on any date. Trusted by realtors, solar professionals, photographers, and anyone planning life around the sun. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Find the sunniest home, apartment, or plot • Optimize solar panel placement & yield • Scout photo & film locations remotely • Plan gardens, terraces & outdoor spaces • Time your day around natural light WHAT'S NEW • Major performance update: increased stability and improved UX • Edit the 3D World – place objects, adjust buildings, share your scene (free) • Export Solar Data to CSV – run analytics in your spreadsheet or tool of choice GET STARTED FOR FREE • Simulate sunlight & shadows • Explore the global 3D map • Edit existing 3D buildings and trees • Place basic 3D objects (cuboids, cylinders, trees) •. Share your edited 3D scene Explorer (In-App Purchase): • Unlock 3D camera view of the Sun • Change date & time in the future or the past for precise planning Home (In-App Purchase): • All Explorer features • Extended 3D objects (freeform, roofs, trees) • 14-day global weather and UV forecast, along with historical data • High-quality 3D maps & extra base maps • Adjust default building height • Visualize floor levels on facades Studio (In-App Purchase): • Our most advanced offering • All Explorer + Home features • Interactive 3D Solar Analytics • High resolution textured 3D digital twin • Edit existing 3D buildings and trees • Create individual shapes & use prefabs • Upload your own 3D models • Share & embed your projects anywhere Shadowmap is an award-winning app: • APTI Award Winner 2024 • Golden Kitty Awards Finalist 2021 • #3 Product of the Day – Product Hunt – Download Shadowmap today and connect with the Sun in unprecedented ways. – Technical support: support@shadowmap.org You can purchase "Shadowmap Home" and "Shadowmap Studio" as monthly or yearly subscription. You can subscribe and pay through your iTunes account. Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will automatically renew unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You may manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renew after purchase by going to the ‘Manage Subscription’ page in settings. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited if you purchase a subscription, where applicable. All subscriptions will renew at their respective cost. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://shadowmap.org/privacy-policy

Screenshots

UAV Forecast4 screens
Shadowmap4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: UAV Forecast at 4.6 against Shadowmap's 3.2. UAV Forecast also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (3.5K vs 6). Shadowmap's advantage is review sentiment (45% vs 33%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. UAV Forecast sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Shadowmap sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

UAV Forecast holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: UAV Forecast has 3.5K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of UAV Forecast's written reviews are positive against 45% of Shadowmap's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

UAV Forecast ships an update every 5 days, Shadowmap every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
UAV Forecast versus Shadowmap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUAV ForecastShadowmap
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (3.5K ratings) — better3.2 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews33.2% of reviews45.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.5K — better6
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#27 — better#118
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size83 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatthew LLOYDShadowmap Technologies GmbH

Customer experience

UAV Forecast

All ratings3,511 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral1.3%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews753 reviews
Positive33.2%
Neutral4.9%
Negative61.9%

Shadowmap

All ratings6 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive45.5%
Neutral6.1%
Negative48.5%

Bugs and requests

UAV Forecast

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on iPad Pro
  • Location not detected
  • Freezes when entering location

Requested features

5 requests
  • Metric option for altitude
  • More than 5 favorite locations
  • Ability to store drone profiles
  • Alerts for weather changes
  • Map with wind direction overlay

Shadowmap

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

14 purchases

UAV Forecast

Subscriptions13
  • Plus Subscription - Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Hobbyist Subscription - Weekly7 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Professional - Weekly7 Days trial$4.697 Days
Show 10 more
  • Value Subscription - Monthly7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Hobbyist - Monthly7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Elite Subscription - Weekly7 Days trial$8.697 Days
  • Professional - Monthly7 Days trial$9.491 Month
  • Plus Subscription - Annual7 Days trial$12.991 Year
  • Elite Subscription - Monthly7 Days trial$17.491 Month
  • Value Subscription - Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Hobbyist Subscription - Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Professional - Annual7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Elite Subscription - Annual7 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Hobby Subscription - One Year$23.99
10 purchases

Shadowmap

Subscriptions10
  • Shadowmap Home – Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Shadowmap Home – Monthly Trial3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Shadowmap Explorer – Yearly$29.991 Year
Show 7 more
  • Shadowmap Explorer – Yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Shadowmap Studio – Monthly$59.991 Month
  • Shadowmap Studio – Yearly3 Days trial$59.991 Month
  • Shadowmap Home – Yearly$99.991 Year
  • Shadowmap Home – Yearly Trial3 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Shadowmap Studio – Yearly$599.991 Year
  • Shadowmap Studio – Yearly3 Days trial$599.991 Year

Questions

Is UAV Forecast free?
UAV Forecast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shadowmap free?
Shadowmap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, UAV Forecast or Shadowmap?
UAV Forecast is rated higher. UAV Forecast averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while Shadowmap averages 3.2 from 6 ratings.
Do UAV Forecast or Shadowmap have ads?
Neither UAV Forecast nor Shadowmap shows ads.
Which is updated more often, UAV Forecast or Shadowmap?
UAV Forecast ships an update every 5 days, and Shadowmap every 6 weeks. Most recently, UAV Forecast was updated on October 29, 2026 and Shadowmap on October 30, 2026.
Which is more popular, UAV Forecast or Shadowmap?
UAV Forecast currently peaks at #27 in the App Store charts, and Shadowmap at #118. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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