# Thunderstorm Simulator vs Survivor Pool Optimizer

The clearest difference is price: Survivor Pool Optimizer at Free against Thunderstorm Simulator's $1.99. Survivor Pool Optimizer also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (daily vs every 4 months). Thunderstorm Simulator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (100% vs 82%). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Survivor Pool Optimizer is free to download; Thunderstorm Simulator costs $1.99 up front. Survivor Pool Optimizer sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month. Thunderstorm Simulator asks for nothing beyond the download.

Survivor Pool Optimizer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Survivor Pool Optimizer has 16 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Thunderstorm Simulator's written reviews are positive against 82% of Survivor Pool Optimizer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Thunderstorm Simulator ships an update every 4 months, Survivor Pool Optimizer daily. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thunderstorm Simulator | Survivor Pool Optimizer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thunderstorm-simulator/id1200949907/reviews) | **[5.0 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/survivor-pool-optimizer/id1641574665/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **16** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 81.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | **Paid** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#193** | — |
| Size | 72 MB | 164 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Scott Dodson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1033778296) | [Michael Montalbano](https://appshunter.io/developer/1481125271) |

## What reviewers say

### Thunderstorm Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thunderstorm-simulator/id1200949907)

**Currently charting:** #193 Top Paid · Entertainment (US App Store)

Create a personalized thunderstorm experience with adjustable rain, thunder, and lightning effects. Customize sound volumes, lightning occurrences, and light colors to relax or fall asleep. Includes a sleep timer and options for background nature sounds.

**Highlights:** Adjustable rain sounds and volume, Customizable thunder and lightning occurrences, Screen or camera flash lightning effects, Background nature sounds, Sleep timer with fade-out, Keep Awake mode, Lightning on Demand control

**In-app purchases:** none


### Survivor Pool Optimizer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/survivor-pool-optimizer/id1641574665)

This tool helps you win your NFL survivor pool by optimizing your picks. Customize future week importance, required picks, team exclusions, and minimum win percentages. View the NFL schedule with projected win percentages for every game to find the highest probability path to survival.

**Highlights:** Customize future week importance, Set required picks per week, Define team pick/exclusion rules, Set minimum win percentage for suggestions, Optimize until a specific week, View NFL schedule with win percentages

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Access | $9.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thunderstorm Simulator free?

Thunderstorm Simulator costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Survivor Pool Optimizer free?

Survivor Pool Optimizer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Thunderstorm Simulator or Survivor Pool Optimizer?

Survivor Pool Optimizer is rated higher. Thunderstorm Simulator averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Survivor Pool Optimizer averages 5.0 from 16 ratings.

### Do Thunderstorm Simulator or Survivor Pool Optimizer have ads?

Neither Thunderstorm Simulator nor Survivor Pool Optimizer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Thunderstorm Simulator or Survivor Pool Optimizer?

Thunderstorm Simulator ships an update every 4 months, and Survivor Pool Optimizer daily. Most recently, Thunderstorm Simulator was updated on October 13, 2026 and Survivor Pool Optimizer on September 27, 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.*