# Field Guide to Clouds vs SOS Explorer

The clearest difference is rating: SOS Explorer at 4.7 against Field Guide to Clouds's 4.3. SOS Explorer also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Field Guide to Clouds's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

SOS Explorer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 20 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 86% and 86% positive.

Field Guide to Clouds ships an update every 2 months, SOS Explorer every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Field Guide to Clouds | SOS Explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/field-guide-to-clouds/id1121399187/reviews) | **[4.7 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sos-explorer/id1358724422/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **20** |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | 85.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 94 MB | 249 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [University Corporation for Atmospheric Research](https://appshunter.io/developer/666875788) | [University of Colorado Boulder](https://appshunter.io/developer/972210292) |

## What reviewers say

### Field Guide to Clouds

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/field-guide-to-clouds/id1121399187)

Identify clouds with this portable guide. Learn their formation, names, and weather implications. Test your knowledge with interactive quizzes. Available in English and Spanish.

**Highlights:** Cloud identification, Cloud formation details, Weather prediction insights, Interactive quizzes, Bilingual support (English/Spanish)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### SOS Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sos-explorer/id1358724422)

Explore interactive animated datasets of Earth and space phenomena, from planetary rings to climate change models. This app brings complex environmental processes to life in an intuitive and captivating way, making learning accessible anywhere.

**Highlights:** Streaming high-resolution datasets, Educational videos, User-guided tours, Analysis tools, 100+ datasets, Global and flat map views

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Field Guide to Clouds free?

Field Guide to Clouds is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SOS Explorer free?

SOS Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Field Guide to Clouds or SOS Explorer?

SOS Explorer is rated higher. Field Guide to Clouds averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while SOS Explorer averages 4.7 from 20 ratings.

### Do Field Guide to Clouds or SOS Explorer have ads?

Neither Field Guide to Clouds nor SOS Explorer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Field Guide to Clouds or SOS Explorer?

Field Guide to Clouds ships an update every 2 months, and SOS Explorer every 11 months. Most recently, Field Guide to Clouds was updated on October 3, 2026 and SOS Explorer on October 9, 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.*