# NVS Explorer vs PSE

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NVS Explorer at 60% against PSE's 14%. NVS Explorer also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.9) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). PSE's advantage is ratings volume (14 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NVS Explorer holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 14 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of NVS Explorer's written reviews are positive against 14% of PSE's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NVS Explorer | PSE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nvs-explorer/id373563865/reviews)** | [3.9 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pse/id725056417/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **14** |
| Positive reviews | **60.0% of reviews** | 13.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 19 MB | 229 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NANOOS-IOOSASSOCIATION](https://appshunter.io/developer/1792959921) | [Puget Sound Energy](https://appshunter.io/developer/725056420) |

## What reviewers say

### NVS Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nvs-explorer/id373563865)

Access real-time ocean data for the Pacific Northwest. Visualize conditions from various observing assets, view historical data plots, and share findings via email or SMS. Customize units and save favorite assets for quick access.

**Highlights:** View real-time ocean data, Access 24-hour, 7-day, and 30-day data plots, Share data plots via email or SMS, Searchable list of observing assets, Save favorite observing assets, Display data in scientific or common units, Data plots for tuna fishers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### PSE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pse/id725056417)

Manage your utility account and stay informed about power outages. Check your balance, make payments, and report outages with ease. Get real-time restoration updates and customize notifications.

**Highlights:** Check account balance, Make bill payments, Report power outages, Track outage restoration times, Manage personal preferences, Start, stop, or move service

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient for tracking outages
- 💡 Helpful outage map feature
- 👍 Easy to use for bill payment

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent login issues and crashes
- 🔍 Inaccurate or missing outage information
- 📵 Unreliable during power outages
- 💤 App becomes unusable after updates

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes when trying to log in
- Outage map does not show current outages
- Keeps logging users out unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Support for Apple Pay and digital wallets
- Ability to schedule future bill payments
- Improved outage status updates and ETAs


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NVS Explorer free?

NVS Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PSE free?

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

### Which has better reviews, NVS Explorer or PSE?

NVS Explorer is rated higher. NVS Explorer averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while PSE averages 3.9 from 14 ratings.

### Do NVS Explorer or PSE have ads?

Neither NVS Explorer nor PSE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NVS Explorer or PSE?

NVS Explorer ships an update every 3 months, and PSE every 3 months. Most recently, NVS Explorer was updated on October 9, 2026 and PSE on October 14, 2026.

---

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