Comparison

National Weather Forecast Data vs VFR Weather Basic

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

Head to head
About

National Weather Forecast Data

Access detailed weather forecasts from NOAA by tapping on a map. View 7-day forecasts, including summaries, wind, snow, and severe weather. Explore national weather service discussions and data from over 40,000 stations.

Highlights
  • Interactive map for weather forecasts
  • 7-day NWS/NOAA spot forecasts
  • National Weather Service discussions
  • Access 40,000+ weather stations
  • NOAA weather radar overlays
  • Hourly, 16-day, and simulation model forecasts (Pro)
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The fastest way to access NWS/NOAA weather data. Simply tap anywhere on the map and view NOAA's spot specific weather forecast. 7-DAY NWS/NOAA WEATHER FORECAST - Text Summary, Spot & Zone Forecast - Weather, Sky, Wind & Waves - Snow Accumulation & Probability - Severe Weather Hazards NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DISCUSSION - Weather Synopsis - Short Term Forecast - Long Term Forecast - Severe Weather Forecast - Aviation Weather - Marine Weather - Hazard Potential Outlook ACCESS 40,000+ WEATHER STATIONS - Air Temperature - Wind Speed, Gust, Direction - Dew Point, RH, Wind Chill - Pressure, Solar Radiation, Precipitation Note: Data availability varies by weather station Access NOAA weather radar map overlays -- PRO SUBSCRIPTION FEATURES -- + Hourly Weather Forecast + High Resolution Satellite Imagery + 16-Day Weather Forecast Models + Hi-Res Weather Simulation Models + Winter Weather / Rainfall Graphics HOURLY WEATHER FORECAST - Air Temperature - Wind Speed, Gust, Direction - Probability of Precipitation - Cloud Cover - Relative Humidity - Signifiant Wave Height - Wind Waves - Swell (Primary / Secondary Swell if Available) GOES HI-RES SATELLITE IMAGERY Fifteen (15) Satellite Imagery Filters - Visible (Band 2) - Near IR (Bands 4 & 5) - Infrared (Bands 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14 & 16) - Nighttime Microphysics - Day Cloud Phase - True Color - Air Mass - Sandwich 16-DAY WEATHER FORECAST MODELS - Global Forecast System (GFS) - Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) - North American Ensemble (NAEFS) WEATHER SIMULATION FORECAST MODELS - WaveWatch III (WW3) - Hi-Res Rapid Refresh (HRRR) - Hi-Res Ensemble Forecast (HREF) - North American Mesoscale (NAM) - Hi-Res North American Mesoscale (NAM-HIRES) - High Resolution Window (HRW-FV3, HRW-ARW, HRW-ARW2) TERMS & CONDITIONS https://lwbrandsllc.com/national-weather-forecast-data-app-terms-conditions/ -- * Available for iPhone & iPad Forecast coverage includes: - Continental USA - Hawaii - Alaska - Puerto Rico Feel free to contact me at support@lwbrandsllc.com if you have any questions. Enjoy.

About

VFR Weather Basic

Read full description

VFR Weather Basic is a limited version of VFR Weather. It allows you to get the current METAR of an airport (user input of any US airport ICAO code). It will then show the latest METAR report gathered from aviationweather.gov This free version has limitations that the paid VFR Weather app does not: - Only allows METAR, no TAF or Runway information. - Only one airport vs departure, multiple en-route and destinations airports. - Show me button does not show satellite view of airport with wind sock and wind information. - Runway selection for report is disabled (does not show runway details in report page). - Winds Aloft button is disabled.

Screenshots

National Weather Forecast Data4 screens
VFR Weather Basic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: VFR Weather Basic at none against National Weather Forecast Data's 4. National Weather Forecast Data's advantage is chart position (#135 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. National Weather Forecast Data sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. VFR Weather Basic asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
National Weather Forecast Data versus VFR Weather Basic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNational Weather Forecast DataVFR Weather Basic
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (12K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews71.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings12K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#135 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB9 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperLW Brands, LLCJeff Bieren

Bugs and requests

National Weather Forecast Data

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes when accessing certain features
  • Hourly forecast data not displaying properly

Requested features

3 requests
  • Landscape mode for tablets
  • Local temperature/conditions based on device location
  • More visual/graphical weather summaries

VFR Weather Basic

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

National Weather Forecast Data

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Subscription (Monthly)3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Pro Subscription (Yearly)3 Days trial$11.991 Year
One-time2
  • Gift the Developer Coffee$0.99
  • Gift the Developer Coffee$2.99
None

VFR Weather Basic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is National Weather Forecast Data free?
National Weather Forecast Data is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is VFR Weather Basic free?
VFR Weather Basic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do National Weather Forecast Data or VFR Weather Basic have ads?
Neither National Weather Forecast Data nor VFR Weather Basic shows ads.

Other comparisons