Comparison

Instant USGS Earthquake Lite vs thEarthquake Tracker

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

Head to head
About

Instant USGS Earthquake Lite

This app provides real-time earthquake alerts and NOAA radar imagery. It displays earthquake information with color-coded severity and allows users to view alerts on a map with various viewing options. The app also offers a 3D view for alerts and integrates with Apple Watch.

Highlights
  • Real-time earthquake alerts
  • Color-coded severity levels
  • Interactive map view
  • NOAA radar imagery
  • 3D view for alerts
  • Apple Watch integration
Features
Read full description

January 21, 2017: Both Free and Pro versions are not working. The key issue is fixed and we are working on couple improvement. The updated app will be submitted to the App Store soon. This is a free version with limited features and alerts. For full features and TVOS App, please look for the Pro version. The Next Generation of World Earthquakes and NOAA Radar app is here (This app is part of the Universal Purchase. With one purchase, you will be able to see the NOAA Alerts on your iOS, Watch OS and Apple TV devices.). World Earthquakes provide you the latest active Earthquake alert and different colors are assigned: - EQ 4.0 or larger: red - EQ 3.0 or larger: purple - EQ 2.0 or larger: orange - EQ 1.0 or larger: blue - All other EQ: green iOS App Quick Started: > By default, alerts are loading once the app is launched. Earthquake Alerts are listed based upon "Date". Once alerts are loaded, you can select "Importance" on the top to list the alerts based upon the severity. Select any alert to see the alert details. > Click on the Map tab and Alerts around the globe are listed. Zoom in/out and select any alert to see the latest weather information. Please notice alerts are being loaded dynamically, you can use "Refresh" button to refresh the latest alerts on the map. If you prefer to view alerts in different map type (Normal, Satellite, Hybrid and Flyover). Click on the "Map Type" to start to switch to different map type. > Click on the Alert Categories/Filters to select all categories or one specific category, then only alerts for the selected category will be listed. Click on "Refresh" button on the Map view and only selected category will appear on the map. > US NOAA Radar images will be loaded when the app is launched and will be refreshed every 10 minutes. And you are ready to see the latest real time radar images on the map. Zoom in and out to see the whether across multiple states. Click on the "Radar" button to enable/disable radar images. Slide the slider to change the transparency of radar images. > To see the Alerts in 3D View, follow the steps below: 1. By default, Select the Map tab and 3D View is enabled and you should be able to see the Alerts in 3D View. 2. You can use two-fingers gesture to change viewing angles: zoom in/out, rotate, swipe up/down for 3D View 3. Click on any Alert and the app will automatically zoom into the alert area. Click on the information button to see the alert details. Watch App Quick Started: > Launch the Watch App and the app will communicate with the iOS App to get the nearest Earthquake information and also notify the iOS App to select and view the Earthquake. Click on the "Nearest Earthquake" button if you would like to search the nearest Earthquake again. Introduction: This app is the Next Generation of World Earthquakes and NOAA Radar app by integrating the following technologies and data together: - The latest Apple MapKit features such as Traffic, Buildings, POI and 3D Model - Apple Watch Integration with iPhone. - Apple TV integration (Universal Purchase: one purchase to get the app on iOS, Apple Watch and Apple TV) - NOAA Alerts - Real Time NOAA Radar - Databases with built in information. This app provides the following features: - The first app to integrate both World Earthquakes and the latest national Radar images together. - The first app to provide World Earthquakes and Radar images in 3D view. - This app provides the Apple Watch Integration - This app will provide Apple TV integration.

About

thEarthquake Tracker

Stay informed about seismic activity worldwide with real-time earthquake updates. Receive instant notifications when tremors occur, ensuring you're always aware of potential dangers.

Highlights
  • Real-time earthquake monitoring
  • Global coverage
  • Instant notifications
  • User-friendly interface
Features
Read full description

Be aware of earthquakes as they happen across the world! This app shows earthquakes in real-time, and sends you a notification when they occur.

Screenshots

Instant USGS Earthquake Lite4 screens
thEarthquake Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Instant USGS Earthquake Lite at none against thEarthquake Tracker's 2. Instant USGS Earthquake Lite also leads on rating (3.4 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (11 vs 2). thEarthquake Tracker's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 7 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. thEarthquake Tracker sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Instant USGS Earthquake Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Instant USGS Earthquake Lite holds the better App Store score, 3.4 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Instant USGS Earthquake Lite has 11 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Instant USGS Earthquake Lite ships an update every 7 months, thEarthquake Tracker every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Instant USGS Earthquake Lite versus thEarthquake Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInstant USGS Earthquake LitethEarthquake Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (11 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB23 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperJufen ChangThirdHalf.com, LLC

Customer experience

Instant USGS Earthquake Lite

All ratings11 ratings
Positive54.5%
Neutral9.1%
Negative36.4%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative50.0%

thEarthquake Tracker

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Instant USGS Earthquake Lite

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

thEarthquake Tracker

One-time2
  • thEarthQuake Remove Advertising$0.99
  • thEarthquake Tip Jar$0.99

Questions

Is Instant USGS Earthquake Lite free?
Instant USGS Earthquake Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is thEarthquake Tracker free?
thEarthquake Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Instant USGS Earthquake Lite or thEarthquake Tracker?
Instant USGS Earthquake Lite is rated higher. Instant USGS Earthquake Lite averages 3.4 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while thEarthquake Tracker averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Instant USGS Earthquake Lite or thEarthquake Tracker have ads?
Neither Instant USGS Earthquake Lite nor thEarthquake Tracker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Instant USGS Earthquake Lite or thEarthquake Tracker?
Instant USGS Earthquake Lite ships an update every 7 months, and thEarthquake Tracker every 3 months. Most recently, Instant USGS Earthquake Lite was updated on November 2, 2026 and thEarthquake Tracker on November 1, 2026.

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