# WHEC First Alert Weather vs Red Tide Map

The clearest difference is price: WHEC First Alert Weather at Free against Red Tide Map's $8.99. WHEC First Alert Weather also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.0) and review sentiment (58% vs 25%). Red Tide Map's advantage is chart position (#178 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

WHEC First Alert Weather is free to download; Red Tide Map costs $8.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

WHEC First Alert Weather holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WHEC First Alert Weather has 4K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of WHEC First Alert Weather's written reviews are positive against 25% of Red Tide Map's.

WHEC First Alert Weather ships an update every 2 months, Red Tide Map monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WHEC First Alert Weather | Red Tide Map |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $8.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whec-first-alert-weather/id1324615236/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-tide-map/id1609297798/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **58.1% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#178** |
| Size | 252 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/546024230) | [Qvyshift LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536442361) |

## What reviewers say

### WHEC First Alert Weather

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whec-first-alert-weather/id1324615236)

Get real-time weather updates and severe weather alerts from local meteorologists. Access high-resolution Doppler radar, traffic conditions, and school/business closings. Save favorite locations and receive push notifications for safety.

**Highlights:** Severe weather alerts, High-resolution Doppler radar, On-demand forecasts, Current weather updates, Traffic conditions, School and business closings, Favorite location saving

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Awesome app
- 👍 Useful for staying informed
- 👍 Excellent weather coverage
- 👍 Great app for weather

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 App not working after updates
- 💩 Chock full of junk and sleazy ads
- 👎 Difficult to read headlines
- 👎 Frustrating to bypass ads

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on iOS 15.6
- No sound on weather forecast videos
- App not launching on iOS 17+

**Requested features**

- Bring back dew point feature
- Add widgets
- Improve readability of blue background


### Red Tide Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-tide-map/id1609297798)

**Currently charting:** #178 Top Paid · Weather (US App Store)

Provides a map of recent harmful algal bloom measurements for Florida's coast. Data is sourced from NOAA and updated within the app. No registration is needed to view current conditions.

**Highlights:** Harmful algal bloom map, Florida coastal coverage, NOAA data source, Recent measurements, No registration required, In-app data update

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WHEC First Alert Weather free?

WHEC First Alert Weather is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Red Tide Map free?

Red Tide Map costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, WHEC First Alert Weather or Red Tide Map?

WHEC First Alert Weather is rated higher. WHEC First Alert Weather averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4K ratings, while Red Tide Map averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do WHEC First Alert Weather or Red Tide Map have ads?

Neither WHEC First Alert Weather nor Red Tide Map shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, WHEC First Alert Weather or Red Tide Map?

WHEC First Alert Weather ships an update every 2 months, and Red Tide Map monthly. Most recently, WHEC First Alert Weather was updated on October 21, 2026 and Red Tide Map on October 17, 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.*