# Sunbeam vs Purple

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Purple at 100% against Sunbeam's 70%. Purple also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). Sunbeam's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sunbeam sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Purple sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sunbeam ships an update every 4 weeks, Purple every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sunbeam | Purple |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunbeam-uv-index-tracker/id1448601833/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 69.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 113 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Electric Acorn Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1890746620) | [俊 林](https://appshunter.io/developer/1511359065) |

## What reviewers say

### Sunbeam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunbeam-uv-index-tracker/id1448601833)

This app provides real-time UV Index forecasts and personalized sun exposure tracking. It helps users avoid sunburn, monitor time spent in daylight, and estimate Vitamin D levels. Features include widgets, Apple Watch integration, and Apple Health syncing.

**Highlights:** Worldwide UV Index forecasts, Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets, Apple Watch app with complications, Apple Health integration, Personalized sunburn risk tracking, Live Activities for Lock Screen, Extended 10-day UV forecasts

**Features:** Apple Watch app, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sunbeam Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Sunbeam Pro Annual | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate UV tracking
- 👍 Helpful for planning sun exposure
- 🌞 Useful for tanning and vitamin D generation
- 🔒 Respects user privacy
- 📊 Provides detailed hourly and daily UV forecasts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Many features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and connectivity issues
- 📍 Difficulty setting custom location
- 🔋 High battery consumption for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not working for some users
- UV data not updating correctly in certain locations
- Vitamin D tab not functioning as expected

**Requested features**

- Integration with Apple Health for better vitamin D tracking
- Customizable sun exposure timers and alarms
- Historical data and exposure tracking
- More detailed skin type and sunscreen recommendations


### Purple

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/purple-uv/id6739747758)

This app offers real-time UV index updates for your current location. Its unique visual interface uses a darkening background to indicate sun intensity, making sun safety easy to understand at a glance.

**Highlights:** Instant UV index updates, Visual background alerts, Minimalist and user-friendly design, Home screen widgets, Sun safety information

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Banana Mode | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sunbeam free?

Sunbeam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Purple free?

Purple is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Sunbeam or Purple have ads?

Neither Sunbeam nor Purple shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sunbeam or Purple?

Sunbeam ships an update every 4 weeks, and Purple every 2 months. Most recently, Sunbeam was updated on November 3, 2026 and Purple on November 4, 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.*