Comparison

Hurricane Center vs Cyclone

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

Head to head
About

Hurricane Center

Stay informed about hurricanes, tropical storms, and typhoons with real-time tracking and push notifications. Receive localized alerts, access weather radio, and view high-resolution satellite imagery. Get updates from meteorologists and the National Hurricane Center.

Highlights
  • Hurricane, tropical storm, and typhoon tracking
  • Real-time push notifications
  • Region-specific and localized alerts
  • Weather radio access
  • High-resolution satellite imagery
  • Video updates from meteorologists
  • Spanish language push notifications
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Hurricane Center gives you a focused, modern way to track tropical weather when it matters most. Follow active hurricanes, tropical storms, depressions, and monitored NHC basins with live storm details, forecast tracks, cones, satellite imagery, advisories, outlooks, and alert tools built specifically for hurricane season. Designed around official tropical cyclone monitoring, Hurricane Center helps you quickly understand what is active, where it is headed, and what changed since the last advisory. Features include: - Active storm tracking for hurricanes, tropical storms, and depressions - Official National Hurricane Center advisories and outlooks - Forecast cone, track, wind, surge, and satellite map layers - Basin-based storm monitoring - Followed storm alerts for advisory changes - Recent alert history with read and unread status - Map Pro premium overlays for advanced storm tracking, available as an in-app purchase - Synthesized NOAA Weather Radio stations available as an in-app purchase - Universal iPhone and iPad support - Dark hurricane-focused interface built for quick scanning Hurricane Center is built for people who want a serious tropical weather app without clutter. Whether you are watching one storm or monitoring an active basin, the app keeps the most important hurricane information close at hand. For support, questions, or feedback, contact us from inside the app. Hurricane Center is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NOAA, the National Hurricane Center, or the National Weather Service. Alert delivery and timing depend on notification settings, connectivity, Apple services, and upstream data. Use multiple sources of emergency information.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Live satellite imagery
  • Hurricane and storm tracking
  • Interactive map exploration
  • 10-day weather forecasts
  • Customizable animation playback
  • Global weather data
Read full description

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

Hurricane Center4 screens
Cyclone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Cyclone at Free against Hurricane Center's $2.99. Cyclone also leads on review sentiment (61% vs 51%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). Hurricane Center's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (1K vs 98). On rating, update cadence, in-app purchases 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

Cyclone is free to download; Hurricane Center costs $2.99 up front. Hurricane Center sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Cyclone sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Hurricane Center against 4.5 for Cyclone. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hurricane Center has 1K ratings behind it against 98, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 51% of Hurricane Center's written reviews are positive against 61% of Cyclone's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hurricane Center ships an update every 4 months, Cyclone every 5 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Hurricane Center versus Cyclone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHurricane CenterCyclone
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (1K ratings) — better4.5 (98 ratings)
Positive reviews51.0% of reviews61.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1K — better98
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#91 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB132 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChristopher CoudrietElecont LLC

Customer experience

Hurricane Center

All ratings1,049 ratings
Positive90.5%
Neutral3.3%
Negative6.2%
Written reviews51 reviews
Positive51.0%
Neutral3.9%
Negative45.1%

Cyclone

All ratings98 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral7.1%
Negative5.1%
Written reviews100 reviews
Positive61.0%
Neutral9.0%
Negative30.0%

User reviews

Hurricane Center

From 1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Trusted and reliable
  • 🚀 Great for hurricane season
  • 🚀 Knowledgeable and trustworthy information

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and not working as expected
  • 🤔 Difficult to use and not user-friendly
  • 🤔 Lacks important features like cone predictions

Cyclone

From 98 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Accurate and friendly
  • 🚀 Fast and precise
  • 👍 Good clear tracking
  • 👍 Good for quick updates
  • 👍 Good for planning trips

Room to improve

  • 😠 Ads make checks impossible
  • 😠 Ads force clicks
  • 😠 Ads are too intrusive
  • 😠 Interface is poor
  • 😠 Hard to read

Bugs and requests

Hurricane Center

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App not working on iOS 11
  • Crashing and force closing issues
  • Outdated and non-functional features

Requested features

3 requests
  • Improved graphics and visualization
  • Notifications for severe weather
  • Compatibility with latest iOS versions

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
Show 70 more
  • 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)
Show 12 more
  • 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

2 purchases

Hurricane Center

One-time2
  • Map Pro$4.99
  • NOAA Synthesized Stations$9.99
1 purchases

Cyclone

One-time1
  • Remove Ads & Limits$1.99

Questions

Is Hurricane Center free?
Hurricane Center costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Cyclone free?
Cyclone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hurricane Center or Cyclone?
Hurricane Center is rated higher. Hurricane Center averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Cyclone averages 4.5 from 98 ratings.
Do Hurricane Center or Cyclone have ads?
Cyclone shows ads; Hurricane Center does not.
Which is updated more often, Hurricane Center or Cyclone?
Hurricane Center ships an update every 4 months, and Cyclone every 5 months. Most recently, Hurricane Center was updated on November 1, 2026 and Cyclone on November 1, 2026.

Other comparisons