Comparison

Instant Weather vs WildFire

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

Head to head
About

Instant Weather

This app provides comprehensive weather forecasts by combining official alerts, custom severe weather updates, and community-sourced reports. It offers detailed hourly and daily forecasts, radar data, and the ability to report weather conditions. Users can choose between a free, ad-supported version or a subscription for an ad-free experience and enhanced radar features.

Highlights
  • Government Weather Alerts
  • Custom Severe Weather Updates
  • 15 Day Forecast
  • Hourly & Minute Forecasts
  • Past & Future Radar
  • Report Weather
  • Community Weather Reports
Features
Read full description

Introducing our brand new Instant Weather™ app! IMPORTANT: Instant Weather Inc. is not a government agency. We are not affiliated with and not claiming to represent any government agency. More on this and our Terms of use and Privacy Policy at the bottom. Instant Weather™ helps keep you safe, keep you dry, and save you time. By combining top-tier weather data, government weather alerts, our custom severe weather updates, and the detailed reports from the most passionate weather community on social media, we are able to provide you with the best possible forecast. -------------------- Free version: - Instant Weather Alerts - Custom Severe Weather Updates (Instant Updates™) - Accurate Current Conditions - 15 Day Forecast - 15 Day Hourly Forecast - Past & Future Radar (30 min past - 1.5 hour future) - Report Weather feature - Ads -------------------- "Upgrade" Subscription: - *No ads - Our new smooth mosaic radar! (30 min past - 12 hour future) - Custom Severe Weather Updates (Instant Updates™) - Instant Weather Alerts - Accurate Current Conditions - 15 Day Forecast - 15 Day Hourly Forecast - Report Weather feature -------------------- "Extended" Subscription: - *No ads - Our new, ground breaking smooth radar! (2 hours past - 48 hours future) - Custom Severe Weather Updates (Instant Updates™) - Instant Weather Alerts - Accurate Current Conditions - 15 Day Forecast - 10 Day Hourly Forecast - 6.5 Hour Minute Forecast - Report Weather -------------------- IW Pro Subscription: - Everything in "Extended" subscription - Advanced professional radar suite - 50 frames of animation - Single/Swipe/Dual/Triple/Quad modes - IW StormRisk Beta (Severe percentages on storms) - First ever Canadian SRV (Storm Relative Velocity) - First ever Canadian storm tracks - Fastest raw Canadian radar data available - And so much more! Please join our Facebook tester group at https://Facebook.com/groups/InstantWeatherApp to share bugs and feedback with all testers, and to learn about the latest updates that we're working on! A huge thanks to all those who have supported us over the years and have made this all possible! If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at help@InstantWeather.ca Thank you, - Adam, Teresa and the IW team Terms of use: https://InstantWeatherInc.com/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://InstantWeatherInc.com/privacy-policy DISCLAIMER: "Instant Weather Inc." collects and displays weather alerts, forecast data and radar data from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the National Weather Service (NWS). However, "Instant Weather Inc." is NOT a government agency. We are also NOT affiliated with and NOT claiming to represent any government agency. We are an independent organization made up of several meteorologists, experienced severe weather forecasters and weather enthusiasts. By using our app, services, or any associated content, you implicitly agree to use the services and data available as is with no warranty issued or implied and should be used for informational purposes only. Any use of this data for decision making processes is done at the sole risk of the end user. To learn more, please view our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. And if you have further questions, please email us directly at help@InstantWeather.ca - Thank you!

About

WildFire

Track live wildfires, monitor air quality, and receive evacuation alerts across Western Canada and 18 western US states. This ad-free tool provides real-time data from official sources, including fire maps, AQHI readings, and weather watches, with customizable alerts for saved locations.

Highlights
  • Live wildfire maps
  • Air quality monitoring (AQHI)
  • Evacuation and fire weather alerts
  • Saved locations with custom alerts
  • Aircraft and road closure tracking
  • Fire ban information
  • Offline preparedness checklists
Features
Read full description

WildFire-Ready is a free wildfire tracker and evacuation alert app for Western Canada and 18 western US states — from Alaska to Texas. See live fire maps, air quality, and evacuation alerts from official sources in one place. Bilingual, ad-free, and a companion to 911. NOT A GOVERNMENT APP WildFire-Ready is independently built. It aggregates publicly available data from official government sources, and every data point is labelled with where it came from. For official direction, always rely on 911 and your local authorities. LIVE WILDFIRE MAP Track active fires, satellite hotspots, and fire perimeters updated every few minutes — from BC Wildfire Service, Alberta Wildfire, NIFC and InciWeb (US), and NASA FIRMS satellite detection. AIR QUALITY (AQHI) Real-time Air Quality Health Index readings from Environment and Climate Change Canada stations, with nearest-to-you lookups and wildfire smoke data. EVACUATION & FIRE WEATHER ALERTS Evacuation orders and alerts from Canadian and US jurisdictions, plus Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches from the National Weather Service. SAVED LOCATIONS & SMART ALERTS Save your home, cabin, workplace, or family addresses and set a custom watch radius for each. Get push notifications for fires, poor air quality, and evacuations near the places that matter. AIRCRAFT TRACKER See air tankers and helicopters working active fires. ROAD CLOSURES Wildfire-related closures from DriveBC and 511 Alberta to help you plan around evacuation routes. FIRE GUARD PREPAREDNESS Six FireSmart-aligned checklists plus a Home Ignition Zone self-assessment — available offline so you have it when you need it. FIRE BANS & RESTRICTIONS Current fire bans and campfire categories by region, drawn from provincial regulators. PRIVACY FIRST No account required. Your location and saved places stay on your device. No data sold, no ads, no tracking. FREE FOREVER A public-interest safety tool with no paywalls, subscriptions, or premium tier. Available in English and Canadian French. IMPORTANT WildFire-Ready is a companion to emergency services, never a replacement. Data may be delayed or temporarily unavailable. Always confirm critical information with official sources. If you see smoke or flame, call 911. Questions? team@wildfire-ready.ca

Screenshots

Instant Weather4 screens
WildFire4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Instant Weather at 5.0 against WildFire's 4.1. Instant Weather also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks). WildFire's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Instant Weather sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. WildFire asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Instant Weather holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 7 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of Instant Weather's written reviews are positive against 91% of WildFire's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Instant Weather ships an update every 10 days, WildFire every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Instant Weather versus WildFire: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInstant WeatherWildFire
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.1 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews65.7% of reviews90.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings27 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperInstant Weather Inc.Jeffery Parr

Customer experience

Instant Weather

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews140 reviews
Positive65.7%
Neutral9.3%
Negative25.0%

WildFire

All ratings7 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive90.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.1%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Instant Weather

Subscriptions6
  • Upgrade Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Extended Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Upgrade Yearly$4.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • IW Pro Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Extended Yearly$9.991 Year
  • IW Pro Yearly$79.991 Year
None

WildFire

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Instant Weather free?
Instant Weather is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is WildFire free?
WildFire is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Instant Weather or WildFire?
Instant Weather is rated higher. Instant Weather averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while WildFire averages 4.1 from 7 ratings.
Do Instant Weather or WildFire have ads?
Instant Weather shows ads; WildFire does not.
Which is updated more often, Instant Weather or WildFire?
Instant Weather ships an update every 10 days, and WildFire every 5 weeks. Most recently, Instant Weather was updated on October 29, 2026 and WildFire on October 24, 2026.

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