# QuakeWatch vs Volcano Updates

The clearest difference is price: Volcano Updates at Free against QuakeWatch's $0.99. QuakeWatch's advantage is review sentiment (85% vs 50%) and rating (4.3 vs 4.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Volcano Updates is free to download; QuakeWatch costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

QuakeWatch holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: QuakeWatch has 78 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of QuakeWatch's written reviews are positive against 50% of Volcano Updates's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | QuakeWatch | Volcano Updates |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.3 (78 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quakewatch/id314600768/reviews)** | [4.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/volcano-updates/id579718608/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **78** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | **84.5% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#20** | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LateNightProjects](https://appshunter.io/developer/314600771) | [Donivan Fox](https://appshunter.io/developer/1454172083) |

## What reviewers say

### QuakeWatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quakewatch/id314600768)

**Currently charting:** #20 Top Paid · News (US App Store)

This app provides real-time information on earthquakes worldwide. It features an interactive map, detailed reports, and customizable alerts. Stay informed about seismic activity near you or loved ones.

**Highlights:** Interactive world map with tectonic plates, Sortable earthquake listings (recent, largest, closest), Tsunami information access, Customizable minimum magnitude filter, Share earthquake data via email, social media, SMS, Detailed earthquake reports with live maps

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent, comprehensive, and detailed information
- 🗺️ Great maps and ways of sorting information
- ⏱️ Updates information quickly
- 📊 Provides lots of useful data and statistics
- 🔍 Allows customization of parameters

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔔 Lacks push notification functionality
- 🔗 Some broken/outdated links
- 🗺️ Limited map scrolling and zooming capabilities
- 🕰️ Delayed or slow updates in some cases
- 🤖 Concerns about the app being abandoned or not maintained

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes or app not loading properly
- Inaccuracies in earthquake location and magnitude reporting
- Issues with specific data feeds (e.g., USGS, GeoNet NZ)

**Requested features**

- Add push notification alerts for earthquakes near user's location
- Improve map functionality to allow better scrolling and zooming
- Provide more historical earthquake data and analysis
- Add support for more data sources beyond just USGS
- Integrate with other earthquake/disaster preparedness resources


### Volcano Updates

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/volcano-updates/id579718608)

Stay informed about volcanic activity with daily news and reports from multiple sources, including USGS and GeoNet. Get alert levels, aviation color codes, and detailed information on active volcanoes worldwide.

**Highlights:** Daily volcanic activity news, USGS Volcano Hazards Program reports, GeoNet news feed for New Zealand, Smithsonian Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, Alert level and aviation color code, Information on Hawaiian and Alaska volcanoes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is QuakeWatch free?

QuakeWatch costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Volcano Updates free?

Volcano Updates is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, QuakeWatch or Volcano Updates?

QuakeWatch is rated higher. QuakeWatch averages 4.3 out of 5 from 78 ratings, while Volcano Updates averages 4.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do QuakeWatch or Volcano Updates have ads?

Neither QuakeWatch nor Volcano Updates shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, QuakeWatch or Volcano Updates?

QuakeWatch ships an update every 3 months, and Volcano Updates every 3 months. Most recently, QuakeWatch was updated on October 13, 2026 and Volcano Updates on October 8, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*