Comparison

Firespot vs Fireguard Wildfire Tracker

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

Head to head
About

Firespot

Access real-time wildfire information worldwide with satellite data and detailed agency reports for the US and Canada. Monitor fire perimeters, aircraft, wind, air quality, and warnings. Subscribers receive custom alerts for significant fire events.

Highlights
  • Real-time wildfire maps
  • Satellite data and imagery
  • Aircraft tracking
  • Wind and air quality data
  • Red flag warnings
  • Customizable event alerts
Features
Read full description

Firespot is the most comprehensive source of real-time wildfire data. Satellites provide worldwide coverage. US and Canadian government sources provide hyper-detailed North American coverage. - Perimeters and fire status - Satellite true color imagery for active and historical fires - Satellite infrared imagery to see fire through smoke and clouds - Aircraft tracking - Wind - Air quality - Red flag warnings - Satellite-detected fire hotspots from multiple Earth-observing satellites - Satellite-derived climatological data: vegetation, moisture, etc. Firespot subscribers can activate Alerts to receive notifications on important fire-related events. Set one or multiple areas to monitor, and Firespot will pop an alert on your phone when an important change happens. FREE TIER: Use the map, view all fires and red flag warnings. PAID TIER: Set custom alerts, get notifications on your device, access all satellite images, see real-time firefighting aircraft tracking. Firespot is not meant as a replacement for local evacuation alerts and information. Privacy Policy: https://www.firespotapp.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.firespotapp.com/terms

About

Fireguard Wildfire Tracker

This app provides near real-time wildfire tracking using satellite data from multiple authoritative sources. It offers detailed worldwide and US-specific layers, including fire detections, perimeters, smoke plumes, and air quality. Users can monitor multiple map areas and access detailed incident information.

Highlights
  • Satellite hotspot detections
  • Worldwide and US-specific fire layers
  • Active fire perimeters
  • Smoke plume tracking
  • Air Quality Index monitoring
  • Live fire camera feeds
  • Push notifications for new incidents
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Track wildfire activity in near real-time on a single, layered map, and get fire alerts when satellites detect a new hotspot near the places you watch. Fireguard pulls data from NASA, NOAA, NIFC, NWS, and other authoritative sources so you can see what's burning, where it's headed, and how conditions are changing. WORLDWIDE LAYERS • Satellite hotspot detections from Suomi-NPP, NOAA-20, NOAA-21 (VIIRS 375 m) and Terra (MODIS 1 km) • Satellite ground-track overlays showing upcoming sensor passes • Low-confidence hotspot filter to reduce false positives UNITED STATES LAYERS • GOES geostationary fire detections • Active fire perimeters and WFIGS interagency boundaries • InciWeb incidents, wildland dispatch reports, and new-start ignitions • ICS-209 large-incident tracking with assigned resources • Satellite-derived emerging fire polygons • Cal Fire California incidents • NOAA smoke plume areas • Red Flag Warnings, Fire Weather Watches, and SPC Day 1 Outlook • Dry thunderstorm risk areas • Air Quality Index (AQI) monitoring stations with PM2.5 and ozone • Live fire camera feeds (ALERTCalifornia) • Real-time traffic conditions INTERNATIONAL LAYERS • Canada active wildfires by province (NRCan CWFIS) • Australia NSW Rural Fire Service major incidents • Europe, Mediterranean, and Middle East fire perimeters (EFFIS) DESIGNED FOR EVERYONE • No account, login, or subscription required • Monitor up to 3 map areas at once — pick a city or use your current location • Tap any marker or polygon for a detailed breakdown with source links • Toggle layers on or off to build the view you need Anyone in or near a fire-prone area — residents, first responders, ranchers, travelers, or people watching out for family — gets a clearer picture of what's happening, faster. Fire alerts follow satellite passes: detections typically arrive 1–4 hours after a fire starts. Fireguard is not an official warning system. Always follow instructions from local authorities.

Screenshots

Firespot4 screens
Fireguard Wildfire Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Firespot at Free against Fireguard Wildfire Tracker's $9.99. Firespot also leads on review sentiment (42% vs 8%) and ratings volume (6K vs 5). Fireguard Wildfire Tracker's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On rating, ads, 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

Firespot is free to download; Fireguard Wildfire Tracker costs $9.99 up front. Firespot sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $29.99 per year. Fireguard Wildfire Tracker asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Firespot against 4.6 for Fireguard Wildfire Tracker. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Firespot has 6K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 42% of Firespot's written reviews are positive against 8% of Fireguard Wildfire Tracker's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Firespot ships an update every 3 weeks, Fireguard Wildfire Tracker weekly. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Firespot versus Fireguard Wildfire Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirespotFireguard Wildfire Tracker
PriceFree — better$9.99
Rating4.7 (6K ratings) — better4.6 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews41.9% of reviews — better8.3% of reviews
Number of ratings6K — better5
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#186 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRayner Software LLCQvyshift LLC

Customer experience

Firespot

All ratings5,972 ratings
Positive91.8%
Neutral4.5%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews62 reviews
Positive41.9%
Neutral4.8%
Negative53.2%

Fireguard Wildfire Tracker

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive8.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative83.3%

Bugs and requests

Firespot

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Fires not showing up on the map
  • Subscription issues (unable to cancel, charges not stopping)
  • Accessibility problems (not working with VoiceOver)

Requested features

3 requests
  • More detailed fire information (size, direction, rate of spread)
  • Improved map and visualization features
  • Faster data updates

Fireguard Wildfire Tracker

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Firespot

Subscriptions1
  • Firespot Yearly$29.991 Year
None

Fireguard Wildfire Tracker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Firespot free?
Firespot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Fireguard Wildfire Tracker free?
Fireguard Wildfire Tracker costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Firespot or Fireguard Wildfire Tracker?
Firespot is rated higher. Firespot averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6K ratings, while Fireguard Wildfire Tracker averages 4.6 from 5 ratings.
Do Firespot or Fireguard Wildfire Tracker have ads?
Neither Firespot nor Fireguard Wildfire Tracker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Firespot or Fireguard Wildfire Tracker?
Firespot ships an update every 3 weeks, and Fireguard Wildfire Tracker weekly. Most recently, Firespot was updated on October 25, 2026 and Fireguard Wildfire Tracker on October 25, 2026.

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