USRK55 vs Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads)
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
USRK55
Experience a 30-minute 360-degree video of a Karate demonstration. Explore different angles by swiping, zoom, and pan like a photo. Features slow-motion playback and a search function to find specific katas.
- 360-degree video playback
- Interactive angle selection
- Zoom and pan functionality
- Slow motion playback
- Searchable kata demonstrations
- Dynamic menu with images
Read full descriptionHide full description
55th Anniversary Demonstration of Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA. Cocoa Beach Florida. February 4, 2017 Kata Demonstrations filmed in GoView360 approx 30 minutes of streaming content. USRKUSA is under the Direction of Hanshi Robert Scaglione. GoView360 technology streams all the cameras into your mobile phone. Slow Motion and Super Slow motion, The old pull down menu has been replaced with a more dynamic menu. This new menu has a image each karate demonstration and lists the location and number of Video Streams. We have also added a search feature. Type in a keyword, like 'Kata' and you will get a list all the katas available for the app. The searches are saved to your phone. And with the new design, more videos will be added for free. Best to use WiFi.
Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads)
Create a personalized thunderstorm experience to aid relaxation and sleep. Customize rain intensity, thunder frequency, lightning effects, and background sounds. Includes a sleep timer with audio fade-out.
- Customizable thunderstorm types
- Adjustable rain and thunder sounds
- Toggleable lightning effects
- Background ambient sounds
- Sleep timer with fade-out
- Bluetooth and AirPlay support
Read full descriptionHide full description
Summon a thunderstorm on your smart device. Relax and fall fast asleep to the sounds of rain and thunder. The camera flashes when lightning strikes. THUNDERSTORMS • Strong Thunderstorm — Heavy rain with frequent lightning and thunder nearby • Normal Thunderstorm — Steady rain with a full range of lightning and thunder • Weak Thunderstorm — Light rain with occasional lightning and thunder far off • Passing Thunderstorms — Rain and lightning intensity changes as the storms pass Rain • Toggle rain sound effects • Change rain audio: Default, Heavy, Steady, Light, On Tin Roof • Change rain volume Lightning/Thunder • Toggle thunder sound effects • Change thunder volume • Change delay lightning (Wireless audio delay offset) • Toggle delay thunder • Toggle lightning light effects • Change lightning transition effects • Change lightning/thunder occurrence: Default, Occasional, Normal, Frequent Passing Thunderstorms • Change starting storm for Passing Thunderstorms: Weak, Normal, Strong • Change cycle time for Passing Thunderstorms: 15m, 30m, 60m Background Sounds • Toggle background sounds: Birds, Cicadas, Crickets, Frogs • Change background sounds volume ADDITIONAL FEATURES • Sleep Timer — Set a timer with a gradual audio fade-out. • Bluetooth and AirPlay Support — Connect to Bluetooth speakers directly, or connect to speakers with AirPlay using the Control Center. Adjust the Delay Lightning setting to offset wireless audio delay. Please contact me at support@thunderstorm.scottdodson.dev if you experience any issues. I'd love to hear your thoughts and appreciate you taking the time to rate and review the app. I want to continue to improve Thunderstorm Simulator and create a great experience for you and future users. Thank you! —Scott *Ad-free version: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/thunderstorm-simulator/id1200949907
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) at Free against USRK55's $24.99. Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 11 months) and iOS requirement (13.0.0 vs 16.0). USRK55's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (83% vs 50%). On rating, ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support 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
Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) is free to download; USRK55 costs $24.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for USRK55 against 4.6 for Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads). Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 12 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of USRK55's written reviews are positive against 50% of Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads)'s.
USRK55 ships an update every 11 months, Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | USRK55 | Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $24.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (7 ratings) | 4.6 (12 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 12 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 13.0.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 75 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | David Seeger | Scott Dodson |
Customer experience
USRK55
Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads)
In-app purchases
USRK55
No in-app purchases
Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads)
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is USRK55 free?
Is Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) free?
Which has better reviews, USRK55 or Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads)?
Do USRK55 or Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads) have ads?
Which is updated more often, USRK55 or Thunderstorm Simulator (w/Ads)?
Other comparisons















