Comparison

Sferic Mobile vs FWAS

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sferic Mobile

Access a global network of hyper-local weather stations and lightning detection. Customize alerts by location and view them visually for context. Requires a license from Earth Networks.

Highlights
  • Hyper-local weather data
  • Global lightning detection
  • Customizable location alerts
  • Visual alert context
  • Professional-grade weather stations
Features
Read full description

Sferic Mobile provides on-the-go access to Earth Networks’ proprietary network of more than 12,000 professional-grade hyper-local weather stations and long-range world-wide lightning detection capabilities. Customize notifications by location and see alerts visually for context. Use of the application requires a license to Sferic Mobile from Earth Networks.

About

FWAS

This app provides critical weather information and custom alerts for firefighters to anticipate dangerous fire behavior. It offers map-based access to fire-specific weather data, including RAWS, NWS forecasts, and radar, helping to prevent entrapments.

Highlights
  • Custom weather alerts
  • RAWS/ASOS station data
  • Fire-specific weather forecasts
  • Satellite hotspot mapping
  • Incident location and fire perimeters
  • NWS watches, warnings, and advisories
  • NEXRAD radar data
Features
Read full description

Many firefighters have been entrapped due to rapid changes in weather causing unexpected fire behavior. These weather events are often predictable using local weather measurements and forecasts, but on-the-ground firefighters have historically lacked access to this information. The Fire Weather Alert System provides this access. It monitors nearby weather observations and forecasts to warn firefighters of dangerous incoming weather and provides convenient map-based access to fire-specific weather information (RAWS, NWS zone fire weather forecasts, NEXRAD radar data, etc.). GET CUSTOM WEATHER ALERTS • Get custom weather alerts when wind speed, wind gust, relative humidity, air temperature, and precipitation exceed your set thresholds. • RAWS/ASOS stations and short-term forecasts (HRRR model) are monitored. • Designate the watch area for your fire. • Alerts broadcast using in-app messages, text, and/or email. VIEW RAWS DATA • Select weather stations from a map and view data in graph and tabular form. • Access RAWS, iRAWS, ASOS, and other station networks. VIEW SATELLITE HOTSPOTS • Display VIIRS and MODIS hotspots on the map. VIEW INCIDENT LOCATIONS AND FIRE PERIMETERS • View incident name, type, size, and most recent perimeter (including smaller IA fires). VIEW NWS WATCHES, WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES • See National Weather Service Active Alerts on the map and read the text. • Monitor Red Flag Warnings, Fire Weather Watches, Wind Advisories, Severe Thunderstorm Warnings, etc. ACCESS ZONE FIRE WEATHER FORECASTS • Access and read your local fire weather forecast. • See fire weather zone names and boundaries on the map. MONITOR APPROACHING STORMS WITH NEXRAD RADAR • Display animated radar data on the map.

Screenshots

Sferic Mobile4 screens
FWAS2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Sferic Mobile at 3.9 against FWAS's 3.1. FWAS's advantage is review sentiment (25% vs 0%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sferic Mobile holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 7 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of Sferic Mobile's written reviews are positive against 25% of FWAS's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Sferic Mobile versus FWAS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSferic MobileFWAS
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (7 ratings) — better3.1 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews25.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings77
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS9.0 — better10.0
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB200 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEarth NetworksUS Forest Service

Customer experience

Sferic Mobile

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

FWAS

All ratings7 ratings
Positive42.9%
Neutral14.3%
Negative42.9%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Sferic Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

FWAS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sferic Mobile free?
Sferic Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is FWAS free?
FWAS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Sferic Mobile or FWAS?
Sferic Mobile is rated higher. Sferic Mobile averages 3.9 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while FWAS averages 3.1 from 7 ratings.
Do Sferic Mobile or FWAS have ads?
Neither Sferic Mobile nor FWAS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sferic Mobile or FWAS?
Sferic Mobile ships an update every 4 months, and FWAS every 4 months. Most recently, Sferic Mobile was updated on October 14, 2026 and FWAS on October 12, 2026.

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