# Hornady Ballistics vs GaugeWatcher

The clearest difference is rating: Hornady Ballistics at 4.8 against GaugeWatcher's 3.8. Hornady Ballistics also leads on ratings volume (44K vs 9) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). GaugeWatcher's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (67% vs 40%). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hornady Ballistics sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. GaugeWatcher asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hornady Ballistics holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hornady Ballistics has 44K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of Hornady Ballistics's written reviews are positive against 67% of GaugeWatcher's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Hornady Ballistics ships an update every 5 weeks, GaugeWatcher weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hornady Ballistics | GaugeWatcher |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (44K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hornady-ballistics/id1183535443/reviews)** | [3.8 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gaugewatcher/id6498313776/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **44K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 39.7% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 54 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hornady](https://appshunter.io/developer/1254568421) | [Andrew Althage](https://appshunter.io/developer/1631629264) |

## What reviewers say

### Hornady Ballistics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hornady-ballistics/id1183535443)

This app provides advanced ballistic calculations using Doppler radar measured bullet drag coefficients. It includes a BC-based calculator and an extensive ammo library to help users achieve greater accuracy.

**Highlights:** 4DOF trajectory calculations, Doppler radar measured bullet drag coefficient input, BC-based calculator, Comprehensive ammo library, Shooting angle and azimuth features

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Multi Hud | $0.99 | one-time |
| Range Cards | $0.99 | one-time |
| Group Analysis | $4.99 | one-time |
| Moving Target | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate ballistic calculations
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Useful features like shooting angle and azimuth
- 🎯 Helps achieve long-range accuracy

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app not loading
- 🔌 Issues with compatibility on newer devices
- 🔍 Limited bullet and caliber options
- 🔧 Difficulty customizing units of measure

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch or during use
- Saved data not persisting or resetting
- Incorrect data being saved (e.g. wrong bullet weight)
- Navigation and UI elements not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Add more bullet and caliber options
- Allow customization of units (metric/imperial)
- Integrate with weather stations for automatic data input
- Ability to save and export range cards


### GaugeWatcher

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gaugewatcher/id6498313776)

Access real-time river flow data without needing an account or encountering advertisements. Discover nearby gauges, monitor flow rates, and save your preferred locations for quick access.

**Highlights:** Real-time river flow data, Discover nearby gauges, Check flow rates, Bookmark favorite gauges, No signup required, Ad-free experience

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hornady Ballistics free?

Hornady Ballistics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is GaugeWatcher free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hornady Ballistics or GaugeWatcher?

Hornady Ballistics is rated higher. Hornady Ballistics averages 4.8 out of 5 from 44K ratings, while GaugeWatcher averages 3.8 from 9 ratings.

### Do Hornady Ballistics or GaugeWatcher have ads?

Neither Hornady Ballistics nor GaugeWatcher shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hornady Ballistics or GaugeWatcher?

Hornady Ballistics ships an update every 5 weeks, and GaugeWatcher weekly. Most recently, Hornady Ballistics was updated on November 5, 2026 and GaugeWatcher on November 4, 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.*