Comparison

WeatherBug vs Weather⁺

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

Head to head
About

WeatherBug

Get accurate, real-time weather forecasts and severe storm alerts powered by a global professional weather network. Visualize conditions with interactive maps, track lightning, and stay informed about pollen, air quality, and more.

Highlights
  • Real-Time Pinpoint Forecasts
  • Enhanced Interactive Map
  • Severe Weather Alerts
  • Lightning Proximity Alerts
  • Pollen Count
  • Air Quality Information
Features
Read full description

Download the most popular free weather app powered by the largest professional weather network in the world! Enjoy Free access to 10-Day Forecast and over 140 hours of Hourly Forecast, and explore our Ad-Free Subscription options. WeatherBug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need, from storm warnings to pollen levels. Our weather network delivers the fastest alerts and the best real-time forecasts (current, hourly, and 10-day). WeatherBug has over 20 weather maps, including Radar, Future Radar, Lightning, Pollen, Severe Storm Risk, Precipitation, and more! Join the millions who rely on WeatherBug for weather forecasts every day! "I love WeatherBug! It's always accurate & is the first place I go for up-to-the-minute weather!" –iOS User. WEATHERBUG FEATURES: YOUR WEATHER FORECAST • Real-Time Pinpoint Forecasts: Get the most accurate current, hourly, and 10-day weather forecasts • Enhanced Interactive Map: Visualize weather conditions with 19 weather maps • Lifestyle Forecasts: Know how the weather will impact your trips, workouts, allergies, chronic pain and much more • Weather Widget: Customize your alerts and display them with weather widgets • Weather Alerts: get alerted to weather conditions and storms • Weather Videos: Watch short weather videos with severe weather updates, live forecasts, storm alerts, and safety tips to better understand what’s happening and what to expect next TRACK ANY CONDITION • Weather Radar: available across the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe • PulseRad® Radar: radar for many international locations using patented Earth Networks Total Lightning Network® technology • Spark Lightning Alerts: get minute-by-minute, mile-by-mile lightning proximity alerts • Hurricane Center: hurricane forecasts and changing conditions stay informed • Fire Center: global fire data to know when you are at risk • Winter Weather: Plan with our 10-day snow depth forecast and stay safe in severe winter conditions with our real-time snowstorm alerts MORE THAN JUST RAIN • Pollen Count: Keep your allergies in check by knowing what the local pollen conditions are like • Live Traffic Cameras: View local traffic conditions to better plan your day • Real-Time Traffic Conditions: View local traffic conditions to better plan your day • Air Quality: Get an in-depth look at the air quality around you • Precise Weather Details: Wind speed, UV index, weather observations and more LARGEST WEATHER NETWORK • Forecasts for 2.6 million+ locations worldwide • Largest total lightning detection network FASTEST WEATHER ALERTS • Get notified of severe weather 50% faster with our Dangerous Thunderstorm Alerts • Receive all NWS and NOAA watches and warnings APPLE WATCH SUPPORT • Get vital weather information directly on your Apple Watch, including alerts, glances, and complications CONNECT WITH US • Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/WeatherBug • Follow us on Twitter - @WeatherBug • Check us out on Instagram - @weatherbug • Check out WeatherBug's YouTube weather channel broadcast here: https://www.youtube.com/user/WeatherBugVideo Download the weather forecast app used and loved by millions, awarded the "Best Weather App" in 2019 and 2016 by Mediapost Appy Awards. Also, voted the "Best Weather App for iPads" by AppPicker and "Best App for Moms" by Parent Magazine: WeatherBug! This app may include "Interest-Based Ads" (see https://www.weatherbug.com/legal/privacy#AC) for more information) and may collect or share "Precise Location Data" (see https://www.weatherbug.com/legal/privacy#PLD for more details).

About

Weather⁺

Experience dynamic weather forecasts with visually engaging video backgrounds that adapt to local conditions. Get detailed weather data, customizable layouts, and convenient widgets. Enjoy animated clocks and full Apple Watch integration.

Highlights
  • Daily & 3-hourly forecasts
  • Humidity, pressure, wind data
  • Animated video backgrounds
  • Customizable forecast layout
  • Animated flip clock
  • Weather widgets
  • Apple Watch support
Features
Read full description

Weather⁺ is more than just the weather! Experience the weather forecast with beautiful video backgrounds that change along the local weather conditions of your location. FREE IN WEATHER⁺ • Forecast Daily & 3-Hourly • Humidity, Precipitation, Pressure, Wind direction & speed • Visibility details • Weather Widgets - Weekly Weather (iPhone & iPad) • Changing Video Background along with weather conditions • Personalize your Forecast Layout screen • Animated Flip Clock • Split View for multitasking support • Full Apple Watch support SUBSCRIPTION TO PREMIUM ACCESS • a 100% Ad Free experience • Full access to all Weather Videos • Premium Customer Support Subscriptions automatically renew each month 24 hours before the end of the current period and your iTunes account will be charged unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can turn off auto-renew at any time from within the app. Any unused portion of a free trial will be forfeited if you purchase a subscription. Terms & Conditions: https://impalastudios.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://impalastudios.com/privacy CHANGE THE TIME In the settings, you can switch between ‘Your time’ and ‘Local time.’ To switch between them, click the ‘Your time’ and ‘Local time’ options on the clock's hour section. ADD LOCATION ON APPLE WATCH It’s handy to know that the first location added to your list is set as the location on your Apple Watch. To edit or change this, you can reorder the cities in your location overview on your iPhone. CHANGE MY BACKGROUND VIDEO Unfortunately, you can’t manually select a video to play as a background. The app selects a random video from a pool of weather videos that match the weather for the report you’re currently viewing. You can expand this pool of videos by unlocking videos in the menu screen, which is done by watching a short ad per video. YOUR EXPERIENCE IS IMPORTANT TO US! Please check if the answers are available in the Frequently Asked Questions app Settings. We’re pleased with your feedback, questions, and suggestions. Our support team is always ready to help via support@impalastudios.com. LOVING WEATHER⁺? Please show your support by rating us! Thank you.

Screenshots

WeatherBug4 screens
Weather⁺4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: WeatherBug at every 2 weeks against Weather⁺'s every 5 weeks. WeatherBug also leads on ratings volume (2.2M vs 145K) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. WeatherBug sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Weather⁺ sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

WeatherBug holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WeatherBug has 2.2M ratings behind it against 145K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of WeatherBug's written reviews are positive against 56% of Weather⁺'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WeatherBug ships an update every 2 weeks, Weather⁺ every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
WeatherBug versus Weather⁺: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWeatherBugWeather⁺
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2.2M ratings) — better4.6 (145K ratings)
Positive reviews61.1% of reviews — better55.6% of reviews
Number of ratings2.2M — better145K
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#5 — better#93
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size237 MB169 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperWeatherBugImpala Studios

Customer experience

WeatherBug

All ratings2,182,741 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral2.1%
Negative0.8%
Written reviews3,012 reviews
Positive61.1%
Neutral9.7%
Negative29.3%

Weather⁺

All ratings144,623 ratings
Positive89.9%
Neutral5.3%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews610 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral8.4%
Negative36.1%

User reviews

WeatherBug

From 2.2M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate weather forecasts
  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • ⚡️ Reliable lightning and storm tracking
  • 📍 Customizable location settings
  • 🌤️ Detailed weather information (humidity, UV, air quality)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent data updates
  • 🔋 Battery drain issues
  • 🤔 Contradictory weather information between hourly and daily forecasts
  • 🗺️ Inaccurate radar and location mapping in some areas
  • 💤 Slow app loading times

Weather⁺

From 145K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🌄 Beautiful weather animations
  • ⏱️ Accurate weather forecasts
  • 🌍 Covers many locations worldwide
  • 🕰️ Convenient time display

Room to improve

  • 💸 Subscription model too expensive
  • 🔍 Difficult to customize background videos
  • 📢 Excessive advertisements
  • 🕰️ Clock display takes up too much space
  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches

Bugs and requests

WeatherBug

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes on startup
  • Widget functionality issues
  • Incorrect location and weather data for some areas

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved radar and storm tracking coverage
  • Ability to disable unnecessary notifications
  • More accurate and up-to-date weather data
  • Metric unit support for international users

Weather⁺

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incorrect time display for multiple locations
  • App crashes after recent updates
  • Weather information not updating properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to select preferred background videos
  • Longer weather forecast period
  • Widget support for home screen
  • More detailed weather information (e.g., air quality, pollen count)

In-app purchases

3 purchases

WeatherBug

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Ad Free Subscription$1.991 Month
  • Annual Ad Free Subscription7 Days trial$10.991 Year
  • Ad Free Subscription Holiday Promo$10.991 Year
10 purchases

Weather⁺

Subscriptions9
  • Platinum Membership$0.991 Month
  • Premium Membership Monthly$1.491 Month
  • Weekly Premium Access3 Days trial$1.997 Days
Show 6 more
  • Weekly Premium Access14 Days trial$1.997 Days
  • Premium Membership$7.996 Months
  • The Full Weather+ Experience$8.491 Year
  • Annual Limited Time Offer$9.991 Year
  • Annual Premium Access$14.991 Year
  • Annual Premium Access$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Video Pack$0.99

Questions

Is WeatherBug free?
WeatherBug is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Weather⁺ free?
Weather⁺ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, WeatherBug or Weather⁺?
WeatherBug is rated higher. WeatherBug averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.2M ratings, while Weather⁺ averages 4.6 from 145K ratings.
Do WeatherBug or Weather⁺ have ads?
Both WeatherBug and Weather⁺ show ads.
Which is updated more often, WeatherBug or Weather⁺?
WeatherBug ships an update every 2 weeks, and Weather⁺ every 5 weeks. Most recently, WeatherBug was updated on September 24, 2026 and Weather⁺ on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, WeatherBug or Weather⁺?
WeatherBug currently peaks at #5 in the App Store charts, and Weather⁺ at #93. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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