Snowtam vs Cyclone
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Snowtam
This app assists pilots in cold weather by decoding SNOWTAM and MOTNE reports. It also offers a tool to calculate cold temperature altitude adjustments based on Transport Canada's charts.
- SNOWTAM decoder
- MOTNE decoder
- Cold temperature correction tool
- ICAO airport code database
- Runway condition code decoding
- Altitude adjustment calculations
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Snowtam provides pilots with the following useful collection of tools for cold weather conditions: SNOWTAM decoder, MOTNE decoder and a cold temperature correction tool. * SNOWTAM decoder A quick and easy decoder for any of the 16 fields provided in a Snow Notification Report. * An in-built database with over 12,000 ICAO airport codes, together with elevation data (please consult application help page) * MOTNE decoder Runway condition MOTNE codes, which are provided with METARs, can quickly be decoded with an intuitive spin dial interface, ensuring that invalid codes cannot be entered. * Cold temperature corrections Based on Transport Canada's widely available Altitude Correction Chart, this utility uses a formula to quickly calculate cold temperature altitude adjustments. The application comes with detailed help information for each utility.
Cyclone
Track hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones globally with real-time satellite imagery and detailed forecasts. Explore interactive maps with current weather, 10-day predictions, and sunrise/sunset times. Enjoy smooth animations and customizable playback for a comprehensive weather overview.
- Live satellite imagery
- Hurricane and storm tracking
- Interactive map exploration
- 10-day weather forecasts
- Customizable animation playback
- Global weather data
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Stay informed and prepared with Cyclone, the comprehensive weather app delivering real-time insights and stunning visuals. Live Satellite Imagery Experience high-resolution cloud cover animations for North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, and parts of Russia. Powered by trusted sources like NOAA-NASA GOES, EUMETSAT, SPC, and GDAC for accurate, global weather data. Track Storms Worldwide Monitor hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones with precise projected paths and detailed forecasts. Toggle between ground station data and satellite imagery for a complete view of weather conditions. Interactive Exploration Navigate dynamic terrain, satellite, or standard maps with smooth zoom and pan functionality. Access current weather, 10-day forecasts, and sunrise/sunset times in an intuitive pop-up window. Seamless and Customizable Enjoy fast performance and fluid animations, even on low-bandwidth networks. Control animation playback and speed for a tailored experience.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Cyclone at Free against Snowtam's $3.99. Cyclone also leads on rating (4.5 vs 1.8) and review sentiment (61% vs 43%). Snowtam's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence 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
Cyclone is free to download; Snowtam costs $3.99 up front. Cyclone sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Snowtam asks for nothing beyond the download.
Cyclone holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cyclone has 97 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Snowtam's written reviews are positive against 61% of Cyclone's.
Snowtam ships an update every 7 months, Cyclone every 5 months. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.
| Parameter | Snowtam | Cyclone |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 1.8 (5 ratings) | 4.5 (97 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 43.5% of reviews | 61.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 97 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 5 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #119 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 6.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 132 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Brendan Wholihan | Elecont LLC |
Customer experience
Snowtam
Cyclone
Bugs and requests
Snowtam
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Cyclone
Reported bugs
75 issues- Notifications for watch zones needed
- Ads make quick checks impossible
- Ads force clicks
- Ads are too intrusive
- Interface is poor
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- Hard to read
- Not easy to see current location
- Limited coverage areas
- Satellite panels do not load
- Useless app for certain cyclones
- No satellite reception for Australia
- Inaccurate data
- App appears unsupported
- Not working
- Waste of money
- Clouds not shown for weeks
- Graphics need enhancement
- Bad cloud depiction
- Limited to see developing lows
- Slow updates
- Not for Russian users
- App is clunky
- Only works for America
- Paid for it, cannot restore purchase
- Needs updates
- Force you to click ads
- CM is too intrusive
- Satellite images are too rough
- Maps are outdated
- Poor coverage
- Badly designed interface
- Doesn't show cyclone near NZ
- Not informative enough
- Hard to read
- Not easy to see immediately where storm is
- Doesn't show radar for southern Gulf of Mexico
- Doesn't cover Caribbean Sea
- Limited to see potential developing lows
- Not for Russian users
- Rubbish app
- Satellite images are too rough
- Maps are outdated
- Apple cannot restore purchase
- Cyclones no longer showing up
- App not updated for years
- Clouds not shown for weeks
- Satellite panels do not load
- Only loads 1/3 of Australia
- Fails to provide basic forecasts
- No panels from east coast Australia to west coast US
- No improvement over free software
- Satellite images are too rough
- Maps are outdated
- Does not cover south half of Gulf and Caribbean
- Not showing tropical cyclone Wintson (category 5)
- No Cyclone Winston and no tracking anywhere
- Doesn't even register Cat 5 cyclone
- Does not show radar for southern half of Gulf of Mexico
- Tropical storm not tracked
- Not shown on radar, not mentioned
- Cannot see cloud mass off coast of Australia
- Limited to see potential developing lows
- Cannot see cloud mass out of the coast of Australia
- Limited to see potential developing lows
- Not for Russian users
- Weather not shown over Russia
- Image cut off at Russian borders
- Hardly works
- No weather on Google map
- Satellite images are too rough
- Most cloud situation unclear
- Maps from two hours ago
- Hard to tell what's going on
- Graphics need enhancement
- No color scales for satellite interpretation
Requested features
17 requests- Ability to notify users of watch zones
- More detail of the Pacific
- Key to explain color-coded storm intensity
- Highlight approximate storm location
- More informative feedback on cyclone intensity (wind strength, speed)
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- Strength meter with different colored icons for intensity changes
- Live tracking like Windy
- Sort functions for locations
- Add storm surge and potential impact information
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Key for cyclone icon colors
- Explain what different colors mean
- More enhancement of cloud images
- Color scales for satellite interpretation
- Show cyclones before Kamchatka, not just Russian border
- All information in Russian
In-app purchases
Snowtam
No in-app purchases
Cyclone
- Remove Ads & Limits$1.99
