Comparison

GOES Viewer vs Stratus Cloud Journal

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

Head to head
About

GOES Viewer

Easily view and share the latest satellite imagery from NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) directly on your mobile device. This app simplifies accessing global satellite views and animations, making it quick to share images via message or save them to your gallery.

Highlights
  • View GOES satellite imagery
  • Access global satellite views
  • Watch satellite animations
  • Easy image sharing
  • Save imagery to gallery
Features
Read full description

Do you like to view and share the latest satellite imagery of the world? Think the NOAA GOES website is hard to navigate on your phone? Give GOES Viewer a try! This app is designed to give a quick preview of every view NOAA has for it's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) and even lets you view the animations of the most recent imagery. To top that all off, sharing is as easy as tapping the share button which will attach the imagery to a message or let you save it to your gallery!

About

Stratus Cloud Journal

Features
Read full description

Look up. Stratus turns every glance at the sky into a personal cloud archive — from towering cumulonimbus on a stormy afternoon to delicate cirrus filaments at 40,000 feet. No account. No internet. Just you and the sky. — KEY FEATURES — • Field Log — Record unlimited cloud sightings with date, cloud type, location label, sky color (6 options), and freeform notes. Swipe to delete entries you no longer need. • 10-Cloud Reference Catalog — Browse all 10 standard cloud genera: cumulus, cirrus, stratus, cumulonimbus, altocumulus, altostratus, cirrostratus, cirrocumulus, nimbostratus, and stratocumulus. Each entry shows altitude range, cloud family, and a practical weather hint. • Family Filter — Narrow the catalog to just the Cumulus, Cirrus, Alto, or Stratus family with a single tap on the filter chips. • Cloud Detail — Tap any catalog entry for a full-screen profile: altitude, family badge, and the weather pattern it typically signals. • Atlas — A monthly calendar density grid shades every day by how many clouds you logged. Navigate backward and forward through months to spot your most active spotting periods at a glance. • Sighting Detail — Tap any log entry to review the full observation: date, location, sky color, your notes, and the matched cloud profile side by side. • Offline First — Everything works without a network connection. Your data stays on your device — no sync, no tracking, no ads. • Ready on First Launch — 15 sample sightings are pre-loaded so you can explore the app immediately and see exactly how entries look before adding your own. Start your sky journal today. The next interesting cloud is already forming overhead. — Stratus Cloud Journal PREMIUM — A Premium subscription unlocks the complete Stratus experience: unlimited cloud sightings and field notes, the full ten-genera reference atlas, your monthly density atlas, and an entirely offline, ad-free environment — everything you need to keep a faithful record of the sky. Subscription options: • Weekly — $9.99 / week • Yearly — $49.99 / year (includes a 3-day free trial) Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://pnkl26.web.app/privacy-policy

Screenshots

GOES Viewer4 screens
Stratus Cloud Journal3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GOES Viewer at none against Stratus Cloud Journal's 2. GOES Viewer also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Stratus Cloud Journal's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Stratus Cloud Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. GOES Viewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GOES Viewer ships an update every 2 months, Stratus Cloud Journal every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
GOES Viewer versus Stratus Cloud Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGOES ViewerStratus Cloud Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (15 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings15 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEmery SilbermanLinh Phan Nhat Khanh

In-app purchases

None

GOES Viewer

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Stratus Cloud Journal

Subscriptions2
  • Stratus Cloud Journal Weekly$9.997 Days
  • Stratus Cloud Journal Yearly$49.991 Year

Questions

Is GOES Viewer free?
GOES Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Stratus Cloud Journal free?
Stratus Cloud Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do GOES Viewer or Stratus Cloud Journal have ads?
Neither GOES Viewer nor Stratus Cloud Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GOES Viewer or Stratus Cloud Journal?
GOES Viewer ships an update every 2 months, and Stratus Cloud Journal every 8 days. Most recently, GOES Viewer was updated on October 24, 2026 and Stratus Cloud Journal on October 18, 2026.

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