Comparison

HF Weather Fax vs PredictWind

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

Head to head
About

HF Weather Fax

Receive marine weather radiofacsimile transmissions using your device's audio input. View and save weather charts without an internet connection. Includes NOAA/NWS schedules for easy tuning.

Highlights
  • Receive weather fax transmissions
  • Works with HF marine radio audio
  • Save received fax images
  • Export images via iTunes
  • Built-in NOAA/NWS schedule
  • Download latest schedule
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Do you want to get your weather charts without using an internet connection or a dedicated computer? HF Weather Fax lets you receive marine weather radiofascimile transmissions, using the audio from your HF marine radio. Just set it next to the radio's speaker or headphones, tune in a weather fax frequency, and watch the images come in. The app can also receive audio from Bluetooth audio devices. HF Weather Fax is perfect for mariners who want to be able to view the latest weather reports and forecasts. Received fax images can be manually or automatically saved, and viewed later. You can also export them to your computer using iTunes. There is also a built in copy of the NOAA/NWS Radiofacsimile schedule, and an option to download the latest copy of the schedule from the NWS website. Visit the support page for step by step instructions showing how to use the app: http://www.blackcatsystems.com/ipad/iPad_HF_FAX_Weather_Fax_App_FAQ.html Buy your copy right now, and start decoding and displaying weather fax transmissions in minutes.

About

PredictWind

Get accurate marine weather forecasts and powerful tools for wind, waves, and currents. Plan your trips with routing and departure planning features, and stay informed with live observations and alerts. Ideal for all marine activities.

Highlights
  • Accurate marine weather forecasts
  • Wind, wave, and current data
  • Weather routing and departure planning
  • High-resolution marine weather maps
  • Live wind observations and webcams
  • Weather alerts
Features
Read full description

Accurate marine weather forecasts and powerful tools utilizing wind, wave and currents, save you time, keep you safe and ensure you get the most out of every day on the water. Access the world’s top-ranking forecast models for reliable and accurate wind and weather data, including ECMWF, AIFS, ICON, UKMO, GFS, and more. Our very own PWAi, PWG & PWE models deliver unmatched accuracy in the short-to-medium range. View high resolution marine weather maps for wind, gust, CAPE, wave, rain, cloud, pressure, air temperature, sea temperature, ocean data and solunar. Suitable for sailing yacht, powerboat and any other marine weather activity. In addition to marine forecasts, PredictWind also provides a suite of powerful marine weather tools to save you time and keep you safe at sea using Wind, Wave, Tidal and Ocean currents. Weather Routing takes your start and end points then calculates your route factoring in tides, currents, wind and wave data, depth and your Sailing Yacht or Powerboats unique dimensions to give you the best route for comfort or speed. Departure Planning quickly summarizes the forecast marine weather conditions you’ll encounter along your route if leaving on day 1, 2, 3, or 4. Use this data to select the perfect departure date, every time for your Sailing Yacht or Powerboat. ADDITIONAL FEATURES - Daily Briefing: Powerful marine weather data condensed into a simple text forecast. - Maps: High resolution forecasts maps with animated streamlines, wind barbs or arrows. - Tables: The ultimate dashboard for detailed analysis of Wind, Wave, Rain and more. - Graphs: Compare multiple marine forecasts at the same time. - Live Wind Observations and Webcams: Know what’s happening with the weather right now at your local spot. - Local Knowledge: Hear about the best marine spots, amenities and activities at your destination. - Weather Alerts: Set your preferences then get alerts when conditions are just the way you like them for Wind, wave and other parameters. - Ocean Data: See what’s happening under the waves with ocean and tidal currents, and sea temperature. - GPS Tracking: Get a free customized GPS tracking page for your blog or website showing wind data overlaid. - AIS Data: View over 280,000 vessels worldwide on the AIS network to see marine traffic. Terms and conditions: https://www.predictwind.com/about-us/terms-and-conditions
 Privacy policy: https://www.predictwind.com/about-us/privacy-policy

Screenshots

HF Weather Fax4 screens
PredictWind4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PredictWind at Free against HF Weather Fax's $3.99. PredictWind also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.7) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 7 months). HF Weather Fax's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 16) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 15.5). On ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

PredictWind is free to download; HF Weather Fax costs $3.99 up front. PredictWind sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. HF Weather Fax asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PredictWind holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PredictWind has 33K ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of HF Weather Fax's written reviews are positive against 84% of PredictWind's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HF Weather Fax ships an update every 7 months, PredictWind every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
HF Weather Fax versus PredictWind: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHF Weather FaxPredictWind
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating3.7 (18 ratings)4.8 (33K ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.5% of reviews84.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1833K — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#64#21 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS6.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBlack Cat SystemsPredictWind Limited

Customer experience

HF Weather Fax

All ratings18 ratings
Positive72.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative27.8%
Written reviews51 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral5.9%
Negative21.6%

PredictWind

All ratings32,885 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews461 reviews
Positive84.4%
Neutral3.0%
Negative12.6%

Bugs and requests

HF Weather Fax

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

PredictWind

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes or freezes on some devices
  • Inconsistent performance across different locations
  • Subscription issues and billing problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved integration with other apps and charts
  • More frequent weather model updates
  • Earlier weather forecast updates
  • Ability to customize alert settings
  • Improved offline functionality

In-app purchases

None

HF Weather Fax

No in-app purchases

16 purchases

PredictWind

Subscriptions11
  • Basic - Monthly7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Basic - 3 Monthly$12.003 Months
  • Basic - 3 Monthly7 Days trial$12.003 Months
Show 8 more
  • Basic - Annual7 Days trial$29.001 Year
  • Standard - Monthly7 Days trial$49.001 Month
  • Standard - 3 Monthly$99.003 Months
  • Professional - Monthly7 Days trial$99.001 Month
  • Standard - 3 Monthly7 Days trial$99.003 Months
  • Standard - Annual7 Days trial$249.001 Year
  • Professional - 3 Monthly7 Days trial$249.003 Months
  • Professional - Annual7 Days trial$499.001 Year
One-time5
  • Basic Subscription, 1 Month$3.99
  • Basic Subscription, 3 Months$11.99
  • Basic Subscription, 12 Months$28.99
Show 2 more
  • Standard Subscription, 1 Month$48.99
  • Professional Subscription, 1 Month$99.99

Questions

Is HF Weather Fax free?
HF Weather Fax costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is PredictWind free?
PredictWind is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HF Weather Fax or PredictWind?
PredictWind is rated higher. HF Weather Fax averages 3.7 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while PredictWind averages 4.8 from 33K ratings.
Do HF Weather Fax or PredictWind have ads?
Neither HF Weather Fax nor PredictWind shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HF Weather Fax or PredictWind?
HF Weather Fax ships an update every 7 months, and PredictWind every 9 days. Most recently, HF Weather Fax was updated on October 29, 2026 and PredictWind on October 31, 2026.
Which is more popular, HF Weather Fax or PredictWind?
HF Weather Fax currently peaks at #64 in the App Store charts, and PredictWind at #21. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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