Comparison

Thunder & Lightning vs Dwell Secure

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

Head to head
About

Thunder & Lightning

Measure the distance to loud events like thunder, fireworks, or rocket launches by timing the visual and auditory cues. Adjust for temperature for greater accuracy and choose your preferred units. It also functions as a stopwatch, speed-of-sound calculator, and unit converter.

Highlights
  • Distance measurement to sound events
  • Temperature adjustment for accuracy
  • U.S./Imperial and metric units
  • Stopwatch functionality
  • Speed-of-sound calculator
  • Fahrenheit/Celsius converter
Features
Read full description

Thunder & Lightning has (barely) one practical purpose: to measure your distance to a sound source. It works for thunder and lightning, fireworks, rocket launches, or other loud events visible from a (hopefully safe) distance away. Just press the Lightning button when you see the event, and Thunder when you hear it. Modern technology does the rest. To perform this trivial task even more accurately, you can enter the temperature of your surroundings to more precisely calculate the speed of sound. You can also choose between U.S./Imperial and metric measurements depending on your personal unit preferences. Should its intended purpose be insufficiently useful, this application can also be used as a reasonably precise (if redundant) stopwatch, a speed-of-sound calculator, a Fahrenheit/Celsius converter, or as an odometer if you happen to be traveling at precisely the speed of sound. Note: Use of application while operating supersonic aircraft is not recommended or approved.

About

Dwell Secure

Manage property emergencies and building systems with this comprehensive utility app. Store vital information about utility shutoffs, appliances, and maintenance schedules, with easy access during emergencies or for routine upkeep. Share crucial data with household members and tenants for enhanced preparedness.

Highlights
  • Emergency preparedness
  • Utility shutoff management
  • Appliance tracking
  • Maintenance scheduling
  • Service technician contacts
  • Information sharing
  • Mobile property support
Features
Read full description

Dwell Secure — Home Documentation & Emergency Preparedness Born from a firefighter's firsthand experience with the chaos emergencies create, Dwell Secure helps homeowners, renters, and property managers document everything that matters about their property — so when something goes wrong, the information is already at your fingertips. Document Your Home's Vital Systems -------------------------------------- Capture detailed records of every service in your home — HVAC, plumbing, electrical, water heaters, appliances, and more. - Store locations, photos, make/model details, warranty dates, and notes - Record serial numbers and installation dates - Never scramble to find a shut-off valve location again - Upload floor plans and property maps - Annotate photos to pinpoint emergency shutoffs and key equipment - Create interactive maps showing service locations throughout your property Stay Ahead with Maintenance Tracking - Set up maintenance schedules with reminders - Track what's been done, what's coming due, and what's overdue - Keep everything organized in one place Share Access with the People Who Need It - Invite family members, partners, roommates, tenants, or property managers - Flexible permission levels — view, edit, or emergency-only access - Everyone gets the information they need to handle emergencies or routine upkeep Manage Any Property Type - Single-family homes, condos, apartments, and ADUs - Boats, RVs, and other mobile properties - Store operating instructions, maintenance reminders, and vendor contacts Property Health Checkup - Track your setup progress with a built-in health checkup - Get guided through documenting services, uploading photos, creating maps, and sharing access - Complete every step and share your achievement Keep Your Trusted Vendors Handy - Store contact details for every service provider - Link vendors directly to the services they maintain - When something breaks, know exactly who to call Emergency Guides & Special Needs - Create step-by-step emergency procedures - Document accessibility requirements, pets, and medical considerations - Ensure anyone with property access knows what to do and who to care for Your Data, Your Control - Two-factor authentication and flexible sharing permissions - Revoke access to shares at any time - Works offline on mobile devices so your information is always available

Screenshots

Thunder & Lightning2 screens
Dwell Secure4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Thunder & Lightning at none against Dwell Secure's 12. Thunder & Lightning also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Dwell Secure's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 128 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 87%). On price, rating, ratings volume 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. Dwell Secure sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Thunder & Lightning asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Thunder & Lightning against 5.0 for Dwell Secure. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 6 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Thunder & Lightning's written reviews are positive against 100% of Dwell Secure's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Thunder & Lightning ships an update every 128 months, Dwell Secure fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Thunder & Lightning versus Dwell Secure: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThunder & LightningDwell Secure
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (7 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 128 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBryan FiglerChasing Bacon LLC

Customer experience

Thunder & Lightning

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive87.3%
Neutral5.5%
Negative7.3%

Dwell Secure

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Thunder & Lightning

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crash
  • App does not work anymore

Requested features

11 requests
  • Option to have both miles per hour and centigrade
  • Switch to a single button for lightning and thunder
  • Allow typing temperature instead of slider
  • Display average time and distance of records
  • Use light sensor and camera for lightning detection
Show 6 more
  • Use microphone to detect thunder
  • Log time, location, and estimated distance of lightning
  • Pull weather data for accuracy
  • Use compass to input heading of lightning
  • Plot estimated location of lightning on a map
  • Update for iOS 7

Dwell Secure

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Thunder & Lightning

No in-app purchases

12 purchases

Dwell Secure

Subscriptions6
  • Basic Package$4.991 Month
  • Business Package$19.991 Month
  • Bundle of Five$19.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Bundle of Ten$29.991 Month
  • Bundle of Twenty$49.991 Month
  • Bundle of Fifty$99.991 Month
One-time6
  • Personal Package$4.99
  • Business Package$19.99
  • Bundle of Five$19.99
Show 3 more
  • Bundle of Ten$29.99
  • Bundle of Twenty$49.99
  • Bundle of Fifty$99.99

Questions

Is Thunder & Lightning free?
Thunder & Lightning is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dwell Secure free?
Dwell Secure is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Thunder & Lightning or Dwell Secure?
Dwell Secure is rated higher. Thunder & Lightning averages 4.9 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Dwell Secure averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Thunder & Lightning or Dwell Secure have ads?
Neither Thunder & Lightning nor Dwell Secure shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Thunder & Lightning or Dwell Secure?
Thunder & Lightning ships an update every 128 months, and Dwell Secure fortnightly. Most recently, Thunder & Lightning was updated on October 13, 2026 and Dwell Secure on October 14, 2026.

Other comparisons