Comparison

Metar vs Globe Stations

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

Head to head
About

Metar

This app visualizes aviation weather reports (METAR and TAF) for airports worldwide. It offers easy-to-understand metrics, weather symbols, crosswind calculations, and flight rule categories. Users can listen to decoded reports, track favorite stations, and view historical weather trends.

Highlights
  • Visualized METAR and TAF data
  • Weather symbols and flight rule categories
  • Crosswind calculations
  • Text-to-speech readout
  • Favorite station tracking
  • Interactive airport map
  • Weather trend graphs
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Visualized METAR and TAF weather information for all airports in the world. Concise summary of everything you need to know about today's aviation weather. METAR features: - Visualized in easy to understand and colourful metrics - Weather symbols for significant weather and clouds, like in a non-aviation weather report - Crosswind calculations, by combining METAR and runway information - Flight rules category: VFR, MVFR, IFR, LIFR - Read out by text-to-speech available, listen to a decoded METAR while doing other things TAF features: - TAF broken down and displayed per hour in a table - Show sunrise/sunset, minimum and maximum temperature Keeping track: - Add your favorite stations to the list, see their weather at a glance - Get observations near your location - Find stations in the interactive map with weather codes - Search airports by ICAO code or name History: - Graphs with weather trends today and yesterday: temperature, visibility, wind speed, QNH - METAR history for the last hours and link to more on the website Airport information: - See information about the airports, like runway directions, elevation, location - If the airport doesn't report a METAR, the nearest station used for calculations Calculations: - All units are customizable units: speed (knots, km/h, m/s, mph), altitude (meters/feet), visibility (kilometers/miles), temperature (Celcius/Fahrenheit) and air pressure (Hectopascal, Inch Hg) - Times are converted to the local time for each airport - Sunrise and sunset are calculated based on the airports latitude/longitude General: - METAR, TAF and airport data are automatically saved for offline use - Available in 6 languages: English, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, German and French

About

Globe Stations

Read full description

Globe Stations is a fast, interactive global aviation weather map built for pilots. Switch instantly between: Stations mode: color-coded airport weather dots with quick lookup by ICAO/IATA SIGWX mode: significant weather polygons with highlight and tap-to-open details Key features: Live METAR and TAF station information SIGWX/SIGMET overlays with hazard-focused visualization NOTAM + SNOWTAM retrieval in station info Smooth globe navigation with center-point targeting Control Center for quick refresh/clear and overlay control Globe Stations is designed to give you rapid weather awareness before and during flight planning. Always cross-check with official aviation sources. Not intended as the sole source for operational decisions. Disclaimer & Limitation of Liability Globe Stations is provided for informational purposes only. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or availability of any data displayed in the app (including METAR, TAF, NOTAM, SNOWTAM, SIGWX, and SIGMET information). Data may be delayed, incomplete, or contain errors. By using this app, you acknowledge that you are solely responsible for verifying all information against official, current aviation sources before making any operational decisions. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Globe Stations and its developers disclaim liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or other damages arising from use of, or reliance on, data provided by the app.

Screenshots

Metar4 screens
Globe Stations4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Globe Stations at Free against Metar's $5.99. Metar's advantage is chart position (#23 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). On update cadence, 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

Globe Stations is free to download; Metar costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Metar ships an update monthly, Globe Stations every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Metar versus Globe Stations: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMetarGlobe Stations
Price$5.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (583 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews77.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings583 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#23 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB265 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEveline van den BoomRasmus Sundsten

Bugs and requests

Metar

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Autocorrect adds unwanted spaces to airport codes
  • Visual cloud base off by 2000 feet on iPad
  • Screen goes black when searching for airports
  • App badge cannot be cleared
  • Browse Older Metars redirects to blank website
Show 3 more
  • App defaults to portrait mode on iPad
  • Incorrect METAR data shown for nearby airports instead of requested airport
  • Excessive 'verify you're human' prompts after donation

Requested features

14 requests
  • Home screen widget support
  • Crosswind with gust information
  • Runway alignment feature in app (not just web)
  • Dewpoint and temperature meteogram graph
  • Runway degree headings display
Show 9 more
  • Split-screen support for iPad
  • Refresh button on active METAR page
  • Ability to sort favorite airports
  • Landscape mode default for iPad
  • Unit conversion tools (gallons/liters)
  • MSFS 2020 integration or compatibility
  • Extended METAR history (12+ hours)
  • Disable autocorrect option for search
  • More comprehensive airport coverage

Globe Stations

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Metar

No in-app purchases

None

Globe Stations

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Metar free?
Metar costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Globe Stations free?
Globe Stations is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Metar or Globe Stations have ads?
Neither Metar nor Globe Stations shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Metar or Globe Stations?
Metar ships an update monthly, and Globe Stations every 3 weeks. Most recently, Metar was updated on October 27, 2026 and Globe Stations on October 25, 2026.

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