# Tropical Hurricane Tracker vs PCB Surf Flags

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PCB Surf Flags at none against Tropical Hurricane Tracker's 2. PCB Surf Flags also leads on ads (none vs shown). Tropical Hurricane Tracker's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (2.4K vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tropical Hurricane Tracker sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year. PCB Surf Flags asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Tropical Hurricane Tracker against 5.0 for PCB Surf Flags. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tropical Hurricane Tracker has 2.4K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 96% of Tropical Hurricane Tracker's written reviews are positive against 100% of PCB Surf Flags's.

Tropical Hurricane Tracker ships an update weekly, PCB Surf Flags every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tropical Hurricane Tracker | PCB Surf Flags |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tropical-hurricane-tracker/id1436318547/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pcb-surf-flags/id6504894793/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.4K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 95.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 56 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JPL Technical Solutions, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435674538) | [Michael Howard](https://appshunter.io/developer/1754272757) |

## What reviewers say

### Tropical Hurricane Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tropical-hurricane-tracker/id1436318547)

Stay informed about hurricanes and tropical storms with real-time tracking maps, NOAA forecasts, and push notifications. This app simplifies complex storm data into an easy-to-navigate interface, offering essential preparedness information for hurricane-prone areas.

**Highlights:** Hurricane Tracking Maps by Region, NOAA Forecasts, Interactive Global Map, Push Notifications, Ensemble Models, Saffir-Simpson Scale, Safety & Preparedness Information

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads (annual) | $1.99 | per year |
| No Ads (forever) | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate and up-to-date hurricane tracking
- 👍 User-friendly and easy to navigate
- 💡 Comprehensive hurricane information in one place
- 🚀 Quick notifications and alerts
- 👍 Helpful for hurricane preparedness

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔧 Some features could be improved
- ⚠️ Concerns about privacy policy changes

**Reported bugs**

- Notification long-press feature not working consistently
- Filter settings not persisting between app sessions

**Requested features**

- Add spaghetti models and more forecast models
- Ability to customize notification settings
- Retain notification history after launching the app


### PCB Surf Flags

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pcb-surf-flags/id6504894793)

Get instant updates on rip current risk at Panama City Beach with this app. It uses the familiar color-coded flag system and offers multiple ways to stay informed, including home screen widgets and Apple Watch complications.

**Highlights:** Rip current risk alerts, Color-coded flag system, Home screen widget, Banner notifications, Apple Watch complication, Live beach webcam

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tropical Hurricane Tracker free?

Tropical Hurricane Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PCB Surf Flags free?

PCB Surf Flags is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Tropical Hurricane Tracker or PCB Surf Flags?

PCB Surf Flags is rated higher. Tropical Hurricane Tracker averages 4.9 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while PCB Surf Flags averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Tropical Hurricane Tracker or PCB Surf Flags have ads?

Tropical Hurricane Tracker shows ads; PCB Surf Flags does not.

### Which is updated more often, Tropical Hurricane Tracker or PCB Surf Flags?

Tropical Hurricane Tracker ships an update weekly, and PCB Surf Flags every 6 weeks. Most recently, Tropical Hurricane Tracker was updated on November 6, 2026 and PCB Surf Flags on October 30, 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.*