Comparison

Wind Seeker vs Shade Tracker

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

Head to head
About

Wind Seeker

Visualize local wind and weather conditions with a flat view compass and an augmented reality 3D view. Explore global weather data through a searchable map interface, ideal for outdoor enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality 3D wind view
  • Flat view compass with wind vectors
  • Searchable map view of weather stations
  • Local and world weather data
  • Animated wind vectors and readings
  • Observation station list
Currently charting
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Provides a FLAT VIEW COMPASS and an AUGMENTED REALITY 3-D VIEW showing the local wind and weather conditions with animated wind vectors. Also has a searchable MAP VIEW allowing you to view up-to-date local and world weather station data. As requested by many users, you can now set any location of your choosing via map search, and browse the map to see weather conditions anywhere around the world Ideal For: - Aviators, Sailors, Surfers, Windsurfers, Kite Flyers, Cyclists, Fire Fighters, Weather Hobbyists and any other outdoor enthusiasts Main Features: - Compass view showing animated wind vectors for nearest weather stations with wind, temperature and humidity readings - 3-D augmented reality view with animated wind vectors - List of local observation stations (up to 10 nearest), from which any may be selected for individual wind viewing - Map view of all local stations with weather arrows showing direction, speed and temperature - Uses official Bureau of Meteorology data within Australia, and NOAA metar data (from airports) for rest of world Notes - The compass accuracy depends on having an undistorted magnetic field around your device. If you use it close to metallic objects or electrical equipment, directional accuracy may be impaired.

About

Shade Tracker

Features
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Will your balcony get sun at 4pm? Where should you park so the car is still shaded in three hours? Does that table stay in the sun through dinner? Shade Tracker answers those questions on a live map. Drag the timeline and watch the shadows of buildings and trees move in real time. The sun's position comes from actual astronomical calculation. LIVE SHADOW MAP • Building and tree shadows drawn directly onto the map • Tree heights come from a global canopy model, so shade under trees counts too • 2D, tilted 3D, and satellite views THE TIMELINE • Scrub with your finger and the shadows follow instantly • One pixel is one minute, with about six hours of context on screen • The color of the timeline is the real solar elevation for that minute, so night, twilight, golden hour, and full day are visible at a glance • Scroll as far into the past or future as you want, or jump to any date • One tap on Now returns you to the current moment HOURS OF SUN • Turn the map into a heat map of how many hours each spot gets sun, over a range you pick: sunrise to sunset, now to sunset, or the whole day • Tap anywhere to read the exact figure for that point ANNUAL SUNLIGHT • The same heat map sampled across a full year, for longer decisions about a roof, garden, or balcony SHADOW CALCULATOR • Draw a structure on the map, give it a height, and its shadow is included immediately • Set the height to zero to erase instead: see what changes if a tree comes down or a building is removed • Drawings stay on your device and can be edited or deleted SUN DIRECTION AND STATUS • Arrows from the map center show the current sun direction, the sunrise direction, and the sunset direction • A floating badge gives the sun's compass bearing and elevation, plus whether you are in sun or shade right now, read from the shadow data rather than guessed • Sunrise and sunset times UV INDEX • Current UV for your location, in the standard health color bands • Scrub the timeline to see the UV forecast for that hour SAVED PLACES • Long-press a point and name it: Home balcony, Work parking, that café • The address resolves automatically; tap the list to fly back SEARCH • Place and address search with live suggestions • Type coordinates to go straight to a point • Times are shown in the local time zone of wherever you are looking GOOD FOR Apartment hunting, parking in the shade, picking a side of the terrace, gardening and the full sun versus partial shade question, photography and golden hour, early thinking about solar panels, shaded walking routes on hot days, architecture and site studies, and planning outdoor events. WHAT IT DOES NOT DO Building heights are mostly estimates from open map data, so not every roof is modeled exactly. Tree heights come from a global model rather than individual measurements. UV is a clear-sky value and does not account for you being in shade. Clouds and weather are not part of the calculation: this answers where the sun falls when the sun is out. No account and no sign-up. The calculations run on your device. WHAT'S FREE AND WHAT'S PRO The live shadow map with today's timeline, sun direction lines, sunrise and sunset times, the UV index, search, and up to 3 saved places are free. Shade Tracker Pro is an optional paid upgrade, available as an auto-renewing subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. It unlocks: • HOURS OF SUN (one free preview included) • ANNUAL SUNLIGHT • SHADOW CALCULATOR • Viewing days other than today • The sun arc time control • Unlimited saved places -------------- Privacy Policy: https://shadetracker.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://shadetracker.app/terms EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Wind Seeker4 screens
Shade Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Shade Tracker at Free against Wind Seeker's $3.99. Shade Tracker also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 8 months). Wind Seeker's advantage is chart position (#117 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Shade Tracker is free to download; Wind Seeker costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wind Seeker ships an update every 8 months, Shade Tracker every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Wind Seeker versus Shade Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWind SeekerShade Tracker
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating2.5 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#117 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperozPDASermin Demirbas

In-app purchases

None

Wind Seeker

No in-app purchases

None

Shade Tracker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Wind Seeker free?
Wind Seeker costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shade Tracker free?
Shade Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Wind Seeker or Shade Tracker have ads?
Neither Wind Seeker nor Shade Tracker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wind Seeker or Shade Tracker?
Wind Seeker ships an update every 8 months, and Shade Tracker every 2 weeks. Most recently, Wind Seeker was updated on October 16, 2026 and Shade Tracker on October 8, 2026.

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