Kestrel LiNK vs FWAS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Kestrel LiNK
This application allows users to monitor, download, and share environmental data collected by Kestrel Instruments meters and data loggers. It provides a seamless way to send your weather information to the cloud for further analysis and accessibility.
- Monitor environmental data
- Download data
- Share data
- Send data to the cloud
- Connect with Kestrel Instruments devices
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Monitor, download, share or send your weather data to the cloud from your Kestrel Instruments environment meter or data logger.
FWAS
This app provides critical weather information and custom alerts for firefighters to anticipate dangerous fire behavior. It offers map-based access to fire-specific weather data, including RAWS, NWS forecasts, and radar, helping to prevent entrapments.
- Custom weather alerts
- RAWS/ASOS station data
- Fire-specific weather forecasts
- Satellite hotspot mapping
- Incident location and fire perimeters
- NWS watches, warnings, and advisories
- NEXRAD radar data
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Many firefighters have been entrapped due to rapid changes in weather causing unexpected fire behavior. These weather events are often predictable using local weather measurements and forecasts, but on-the-ground firefighters have historically lacked access to this information. The Fire Weather Alert System provides this access. It monitors nearby weather observations and forecasts to warn firefighters of dangerous incoming weather and provides convenient map-based access to fire-specific weather information (RAWS, NWS zone fire weather forecasts, NEXRAD radar data, etc.). GET CUSTOM WEATHER ALERTS • Get custom weather alerts when wind speed, wind gust, relative humidity, air temperature, and precipitation exceed your set thresholds. • RAWS/ASOS stations and short-term forecasts (HRRR model) are monitored. • Designate the watch area for your fire. • Alerts broadcast using in-app messages, text, and/or email. VIEW RAWS DATA • Select weather stations from a map and view data in graph and tabular form. • Access RAWS, iRAWS, ASOS, and other station networks. VIEW SATELLITE HOTSPOTS • Display VIIRS and MODIS hotspots on the map. VIEW INCIDENT LOCATIONS AND FIRE PERIMETERS • View incident name, type, size, and most recent perimeter (including smaller IA fires). VIEW NWS WATCHES, WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES • See National Weather Service Active Alerts on the map and read the text. • Monitor Red Flag Warnings, Fire Weather Watches, Wind Advisories, Severe Thunderstorm Warnings, etc. ACCESS ZONE FIRE WEATHER FORECASTS • Access and read your local fire weather forecast. • See fire weather zone names and boundaries on the map. MONITOR APPROACHING STORMS WITH NEXRAD RADAR • Display animated radar data on the map.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: FWAS at 3.1 against Kestrel LiNK's 2.9. FWAS also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). Kestrel LiNK's advantage is ratings volume (31 vs 7). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
FWAS holds the better App Store score, 3.1 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 31 and 7 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 27% of Kestrel LiNK's written reviews are positive against 25% of FWAS's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Kestrel LiNK ships an update every 2 months, FWAS every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Kestrel LiNK | FWAS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.9 (31 ratings) | 3.1 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 27.3% of reviews — better | 25.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 31 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 70 MB | 200 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nielsen-Kellerman Co. | US Forest Service |
Customer experience
Kestrel LiNK
FWAS
In-app purchases
Kestrel LiNK
No in-app purchases
FWAS
No in-app purchases









