# Storm Radar vs Tidecast

The clearest difference is price: Storm Radar at Free against Tidecast's $3.99. Storm Radar also leads on ratings volume (138K vs 5) and chart position (#9 vs unranked). Tidecast's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 7). On update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Storm Radar is free to download; Tidecast costs $3.99 up front. Storm Radar sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Tidecast asks for nothing beyond the download.

Tidecast holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Storm Radar has 138K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Storm Radar ships an update every 2 weeks, Tidecast every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Storm Radar | Tidecast |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (138K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storm-radar-weather-tracker/id1216396545/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tidecast/id6767254590/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **138K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | — |
| Size | 313 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.2 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Weather Channel Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/295646464) | [My Dog Hates Technology LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1059454625) |

## What reviewers say

### Storm Radar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storm-radar-weather-tracker/id1216396545)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Grossing · Weather, #59 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

This app provides advanced weather radar and storm tracking with real-time alerts for rain, severe weather, and lightning. It offers detailed visualizations of weather patterns, future radar projections, and customizable map layers for tracking storms like hurricanes and tornadoes.

**Highlights:** Expanded weather map layers (wind, lightning, tropical tracks), High-resolution single site radar, AI Weather Assistant for real-time insights, Smarter storm alerts (rain, NOAA warnings), 6-72 hour future radar projections, Live local storm warnings and advisories, Lightning alerts

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | per month |
| Storm Premium | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Storm Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Storm Premium + | $4.99 | per month |
| Storm Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Storm Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Storm Premium + | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate and reliable
- 👍 Easy to use and understand
- 💡 Useful features like alerts and radar
- 🚀 Quick and responsive
- 👍 Detailed weather information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 💰 Paywall for basic features
- 🔒 Privacy concerns
- 🔍 Inconsistent data and inaccurate forecasts
- 👎 Reduced functionality compared to previous version

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Radar and forecast data not loading properly
- Saved locations not working
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Issues with weather alerts and notifications

**Requested features**

- Bring back old Storm app features
- More customization options
- Improved radar and storm tracking
- Better integration with other weather data sources
- Ability to view weather history and trends


### Tidecast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tidecast/id6767254590)

Easily check tide times, water levels, and weather forecasts for coastal activities. Plan beach walks, tidepooling, or photography with tide charts and custom alerts. Access information offline and customize your view with light/dark modes and seasonal colors.

**Highlights:** Tide charts with sunrise, sunset, and moon phases, Integrated weather forecasts on tide charts, Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, Customizable tide level alerts, Tidepooling mode with daylight and duration options, Wind, wave, and water temperature data, Offline tide and condition information

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Storm Radar free?

Storm Radar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Tidecast free?

Tidecast costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Storm Radar or Tidecast?

Tidecast is rated higher. Storm Radar averages 4.5 out of 5 from 138K ratings, while Tidecast averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Storm Radar or Tidecast have ads?

Storm Radar shows ads; Tidecast does not.

### Which is updated more often, Storm Radar or Tidecast?

Storm Radar ships an update every 2 weeks, and Tidecast every 3 weeks. Most recently, Storm Radar was updated on November 11, 2026 and Tidecast on October 31, 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.*