Comparison

Live Lightning Map Storm Radar vs StrikeCast

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

Head to head
About

Live Lightning Map Storm Radar

Monitor global lightning strikes in real-time with detailed map views and historical data. Track thunderstorms as they happen and identify frequent strike locations. Optimized for the latest iPhone and iPad models.

Highlights
  • Real-time global lightning strike display
  • Detailed thunderstorm map view
  • History of lightning hotspots
  • Full iPhone and iPad support
Features
Read full description

This is the best app for monitoring lightning strikes all around the world in real-time. Using modern technology, you can watch thunderstorms as they occur. KEY FEATURES: - Displays lightning strikes all around the world in real-time! - View detailed information about where the thunderstorm is occurring on a map. - See a history of hotspots where lightning strikes occur most often! - Full support for the latest iPhone and iPad models. If you want to keeping up lightning strikes and thunderstorms easily, then this is the right app for you. Subscribe to get unlimited access to the app prime features: Subscriptions prices are equal to the value that "Apple's App Store Pricing Matrix" determines as the equivalent of the subscription price in $ USD. - All prices are subject to change without notification. We occasionally run promotion prices as incentives or limited time opportunities for qualifying purchases made during the promotional time period. Due to the time-sensitive and promotional nature of these events, we are unable to offer price protection or retroactive discounts or refunds for previous purchases in the event of a price reduction or promotional offering. - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews for the same price and duration period as the original “1 Month”/“1 Year" package unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - The account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period at the cost of the chosen package (weekly, monthly or yearly package) - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's iTunes Account Settings after purchase - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period - You may cancel a subscription during its free trial period via the subscription setting through your iTunes account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Please visit http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4098 for more information - You may turn off the auto-renewal of your subscription via your iTunes Account Settings. However, you are not able to cancel the current subscription during its active period - Any unused portion of a free-trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a Live Lightning Pro subscription. Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, Subscription Policy: https://cruxsolution-practice-project.firebaseapp.com/tos.html https://cruxsolution-practice-project.firebaseapp.com/privacy.html

About

StrikeCast

This app provides real-time lightning strike distance and live alerts on a map. Save locations to receive notifications when lightning is detected nearby, even when you're away. It offers a clean interface with no ad clutter.

Highlights
  • Real-time lightning strike distance
  • Live map of lightning activity
  • Customizable alerts for saved locations
  • Distance in miles or kilometers
  • Approaching and moving-away trends (Pro)
  • Animated weather radar (Pro)
Read full description

How close is the lightning? StrikeCast: Lightning Tracker puts the answer front and center. See the approximate distance to the nearest detected strike in miles/km, follow activity on a clean live map, and set alerts for the places you care about. DISTANCE AT A GLANCE • See the nearest detected strike without searching through the map • View distance in miles or kilometers • Check when the latest nearby strike was detected • Explore latest strikes and lightning hotspots • Built on NOAA GOES satellite lightning data ALERTS FOR PLACES THAT MATTER Save a location and choose an alert radius. StrikeCast can notify you when lightning is detected nearby, even when you are somewhere else. Monitor home, work, school, or any place you want to keep an eye on. CALM, CLEAR DESIGN No noisy dashboard and no ad clutter. When the area is quiet, StrikeCast says so. When lightning is nearby, the distance stays easy to find. UPGRADE TO PRO • Real-time strike data with no added free-tier delay • Approaching and moving-away trends • More saved locations and flexible alert radii • Animated weather radar • 12-hour thunderstorm forecast • Extended lightning range PRIVACY FIRST No ads. No cross-app tracking. Your location is used to calculate distance and power the alerts you choose. Lightning detection has inherent latency and location uncertainty. Distances are approximate. StrikeCast is informational and is not a substitute for official weather warnings or emergency guidance. Privacy Policy: https://strikecast.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://strikecast.app/terms

Screenshots

Live Lightning Map Storm Radar2 screens
StrikeCast4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: StrikeCast at free with in-app purchases against Live Lightning Map Storm Radar's subscription. StrikeCast also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). Live Lightning Map Storm Radar's advantage is ratings volume (91 vs 5). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. Live Lightning Map Storm Radar sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and StrikeCast sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Live Lightning Map Storm Radar against 4.2 for StrikeCast. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Live Lightning Map Storm Radar has 91 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Live Lightning Map Storm Radar ships an update every 2 weeks, StrikeCast every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Live Lightning Map Storm Radar versus StrikeCast: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLive Lightning Map Storm RadarStrikeCast
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (91 ratings) — better4.2 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews65.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings91 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB67 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMuhammad MohsinKirill Proskurin

Customer experience

Live Lightning Map Storm Radar

All ratings90 ratings
Positive84.4%
Neutral6.7%
Negative8.9%
Written reviews61 reviews
Positive65.6%
Neutral8.2%
Negative26.2%

StrikeCast

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

Bugs and requests

Live Lightning Map Storm Radar

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App reports no storms during actual storms
  • Cannot zoom out after double-clicking
  • Map does not scale by squeezing
  • Forced to rate before using the app

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow map zooming out
  • Show storm direction and intensity
  • Include rain/hail indicators
  • Improve zoom functionality
  • Allow rating after usage

StrikeCast

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Live Lightning Map Storm Radar

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro$2.491 Month
  • Yearly Pro$18.991 Year
One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99
3 purchases

StrikeCast

Subscriptions3
  • StrikeCast Pro$4.997 Days
  • StrikeCast Pro$9.991 Month
  • Lightning Tracker: Distance Pro3 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Live Lightning Map Storm Radar free?
Live Lightning Map Storm Radar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StrikeCast free?
StrikeCast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Live Lightning Map Storm Radar or StrikeCast?
Live Lightning Map Storm Radar is rated higher. Live Lightning Map Storm Radar averages 4.3 out of 5 from 91 ratings, while StrikeCast averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.
Do Live Lightning Map Storm Radar or StrikeCast have ads?
Neither Live Lightning Map Storm Radar nor StrikeCast shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Live Lightning Map Storm Radar or StrikeCast?
Live Lightning Map Storm Radar ships an update every 2 weeks, and StrikeCast every 4 days. Most recently, Live Lightning Map Storm Radar was updated on October 24, 2026 and StrikeCast on October 24, 2026.

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