RadarScope vs Stratus Cloud Journal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RadarScope
Visualize professional-grade weather radar data with advanced tools for meteorologists, storm spotters, and enthusiasts. Access real-time radar information, severe weather alerts, and historical data with optional subscription tiers for enhanced capabilities.
- Single-site radar data visualization
- Severe weather alerts and warnings
- NWS-generated storm tracks
- Historical radar data archive
- GOES satellite products
- Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor products
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RadarScope is an AMS-award-winning weather visualization tool that empowers meteorologists, public safety officials, storm spotters, and weather enthusiasts to view a full suite of single-site radar data and related severe weather products. Your initial purchase provides professional radar visualization in a fully native app, free from distracting and invasive practices, with optional subscription packages to add even more capabilities. Whether you’re scanning for a mesocyclone’s tell-tale hook echo, pinpointing the landfall of a hurricane’s eye wall, or identifying velocity couplet, hail spike, or debris ball signatures, RadarScope displays native radar data in its original radial format. You see what the radar sees almost as soon as the radar sees it, with automatic updates every two to ten minutes depending on the radar’s scanning strategy. Your initial app purchase includes the following: • Full suite of single-site radar products for the US, Canada, Guam, Denmark, Finland, and Germany • 10-frame radar loops • Two built-in providers for radar data • Tornado, thunderstorm, flash flood, marine, snow squall, extreme wind, tropical, and other warnings in the US • Selected severe weather warnings in Canada and Australia • Severe weather watches in the US and Canada • NWS-generated storm tracks with hail, TVS, and mesocyclone attributes • Inspector and distance tools • Color palette options for radar data • Weather Pulse data plan integration • Spotter Network integration for storm and location reporting • mPING integration for submitting weather reports to NSSL • Bundled maps with political borders, water bodies, and highways, optimized for low-bandwidth use • Support for widgets and complications • Universal app for Apple platforms, including Apple Watch, and Apple TV • CarPlay support • Family Sharing support RadarScope Pro Tier One is an optional annual subscription that adds more features for tracking severe weather: • 30-frame radar loops • Cloud-to-ground lightning strikes • Special weather statements in the US and Canada • Mesoscale convective and precipitation discussions • SPC convective, tornado, hail, wind, and fire outlooks • WPC excessive rainfall outlooks in the US • Local storm reports in the US • Custom color palette support • Multi-pane display (2 on phones; 4 on larger devices) • Family Sharing support RadarScope Pro Tier Two is an optional annual or monthly subscription that transforms RadarScope into a more complete visualization tool for a larger suite of weather products, including: • Everything in Pro Tier One • 50-frame radar loops • A third provider for US radar data • 30-year archive of NEXRAD Level II radar data • 6-year archive of NEXRAD Level III data • 30-day archive of super-res and non-US radar data • 20-year archive of NWS bulletins • GOES satellite data • Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) data • Real-Time Mesoscale Assimilation (RTMA) data • GFS, ECMWF, HRRR, HRW, NAM, and RRFS model data • Surface observations • ProbSevere layer • Atmospheric soundings in the US • Hail size, hail probability, and azimuthal shear contours with a 30-day archive • More detailed transportation and satellite imagery maps • Custom color palette support for GOES, MRMS, RTMA, and forecast products • Server-sent events for radar and warning updates • Cross-platform subscription sharing on up to 5 devices If you choose to buy a RadarScope Pro subscription, it will be charged to your App Store account. The subscription will be auto-renewed within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period at the same price you originally paid. Subscriptions may be managed and auto-renewal disabled via your App Store account settings after the purchase. Once purchased, the subscription cannot be canceled during the active subscription period. DTN is committed to safeguarding your privacy online. Our privacy policy is available for review at https://www.dtn.com/privacy-policy/ Please visit our web site for more information.
Stratus Cloud Journal
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Stratus Cloud Journal at Free against RadarScope's $9.99. Stratus Cloud Journal also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). RadarScope's advantage is chart position (#1 vs unranked) and device support (5 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases 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
Stratus Cloud Journal is free to download; RadarScope costs $9.99 up front. RadarScope sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and Stratus Cloud Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
RadarScope ships an update monthly, Stratus Cloud Journal every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RadarScope | Stratus Cloud Journal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.2 (2.8K ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 2.8K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | #1 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 310 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Base Velocity, LLC | Linh Phan Nhat Khanh |
Bugs and requests
RadarScope
Reported bugs
3 issues- Subscription issues and failed purchases
- Inconsistent radar updates and connectivity problems
- Apple Watch app limitations and bugs
Requested features
5 requests- Winter weather advisories and precipitation coloring
- Ability to view multiple radars simultaneously
- More detailed road maps
- Archived radar data access
- Customizable alert colors and notifications
Stratus Cloud Journal
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
RadarScope
- Pro Tier 1$9.991 Year
- Pro Tier 2$14.991 Month
- Pro Tier 2$99.991 Year
- RadarScope Pro Subscription$9.99
Stratus Cloud Journal
- Stratus Cloud Journal Weekly$9.997 Days
- Stratus Cloud Journal Yearly$49.991 Year
Questions
Is RadarScope free?
Is Stratus Cloud Journal free?
Do RadarScope or Stratus Cloud Journal have ads?
Which is updated more often, RadarScope or Stratus Cloud Journal?
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