Comparison

Live Lightning Map Storm Radar vs HailCore

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

HailCore

Receive proactive alerts for approaching hail-producing storms. This app continuously monitors radar data, notifying you before severe weather impacts your location. It also provides detailed forecasts, current conditions, and hurricane tracking.

Highlights
  • Hail-producing radar core detection
  • Push notifications for approaching storms
  • Live radar map with hail size estimates
  • Wind gust alerts from ground stations
  • Hurricane and tropical cyclone tracker
  • 7-day forecast and current conditions
  • Dual-polarization radar analysis
Features
Read full description

HailCore is built specifically to detect hail-producing radar cores and alert you before they reach your location. Most weather apps make you watch the radar yourself. HailCore watches it for you — scanning live NEXRAD data continuously and sending a push notification the moment a high-reflectivity core crosses your alert radius. WHAT HAILCORE DOES - Monitors live NEXRAD radar for hail-producing cores, using dual-polarization (CC/ZDR) classification layered on reflectivity — not reflectivity alone - Sends push alerts when a hail-producing cell enters your defined radius - Displays detected cells on a live map with dBZ values and estimated hail size - Separate wind gust alerts from real ASOS/AWOS ground-station reports — not radar-derived — with their own threshold and radius - Hurricane and tropical cyclone tracker: forecast cone, track, and storm points sourced from NOAA - Shows your nearest NEXRAD radar station and last update time - Integrates with your Tempest Weather Station for local ground truth data - Current conditions at your location: temperature, wind, humidity, dewpoint, pressure, and visibility - Full 7-day forecast, hourly breakdown, and sun/moon data WHY dBZ MATTERS Reflectivity (dBZ) is the most reliable radar indicator of hail — but reflectivity alone can't always tell hail apart from heavy rain. HailCore layers dual-polarization classification (correlation coefficient and differential reflectivity) on top of a 58 dBZ default to help make that distinction. Choose Conservative for fewer, higher-confidence alerts, Balanced for the default behavior, Aggressive to flag every reflectivity core above the severe-hail threshold, or Auto to let HailCore pick the right sensitivity per storm based on that day's NOAA SPC hail outlook at your location. BUILT FOR PEOPLE WITH SOMETHING TO PROTECT Whether it's your vehicle, your roof, your lawn, or your equipment — HailCore gives you the lead time to take cover, pull into a garage, or get off the road before hail arrives. HAILCORE PREMIUM - Hail Risk forecast powered by NOAA SPC Convective Outlooks (Day 1-2) - SPC Convective Outlook map overlay — national Day 1-3 categorical risk zones - Storm movement vectors showing cell direction and speed - Radar timelapse - Cloud density overlay for broader storm-system context - Lightning strike overlay using real GOES satellite lightning data - Full national radar view — the whole-CONUS mosaic, not just your local station - Multi-location monitoring Available as $2.99/month, $24.99/year, or a limited-time $49.99 lifetime purchase. HailCore uses NOAA NEXRAD data — the same radar network used by professional meteorologists — delivered in near real-time directly to your device. Terms of Use (EULA): https://hailcore.app/terms

Screenshots

Live Lightning Map Storm Radar2 screens
HailCore4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: HailCore at 5.0 against Live Lightning Map Storm Radar's 4.3. HailCore also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and review sentiment (100% vs 66%). Live Lightning Map Storm Radar's advantage is ratings volume (91 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 HailCore sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HailCore holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Live Lightning Map Storm Radar has 91 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Live Lightning Map Storm Radar's written reviews are positive against 100% of HailCore's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Live Lightning Map Storm Radar ships an update every 2 months, HailCore every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Live Lightning Map Storm Radar versus HailCore: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLive Lightning Map Storm RadarHailCore
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (91 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings91 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB83 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMuhammad MohsinPHILIP KIRSCHNER KAPPE

Customer experience

Live Lightning Map Storm Radar

All ratings91 ratings
Positive84.6%
Neutral6.6%
Negative8.8%
Written reviews61 reviews
Positive65.6%
Neutral8.2%
Negative26.2%

HailCore

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

HailCore

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

HailCore

Subscriptions2
  • HailCore Premium$2.991 Month
  • HailCore Premium$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • HailCore Premium Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Live Lightning Map Storm Radar free?
Live Lightning Map Storm Radar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HailCore free?
HailCore is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Live Lightning Map Storm Radar or HailCore?
HailCore is rated higher. Live Lightning Map Storm Radar averages 4.3 out of 5 from 91 ratings, while HailCore averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Live Lightning Map Storm Radar or HailCore have ads?
Neither Live Lightning Map Storm Radar nor HailCore shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Live Lightning Map Storm Radar or HailCore?
Live Lightning Map Storm Radar ships an update every 2 months, and HailCore every 2 weeks. Most recently, Live Lightning Map Storm Radar was updated on November 3, 2026 and HailCore on October 9, 2026.

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