# VNL Weather vs MDSS

The clearest difference is rating: VNL Weather at 4.6 against MDSS's 2.6. VNL Weather also leads on review sentiment (36% vs 11%) and ratings volume (9K vs 20). MDSS's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

VNL Weather holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VNL Weather has 9K ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of VNL Weather's written reviews are positive against 11% of MDSS's.

VNL Weather ships an update every 2 months, MDSS monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | VNL Weather | MDSS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vnl-weather/id414272558/reviews)** | [2.6 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mdss/id663910124/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9K** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | **36.3% of reviews** | 11.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 242 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gray Television Group, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/416888140) | [DTN, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/404268542) |

## What reviewers say

### VNL Weather

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vnl-weather/id414272558)

Get hyper-local weather updates with high-resolution radar and satellite imagery. Receive daily and hourly forecasts, severe weather alerts, and personalized location tracking. Stay informed and safe with real-time weather information.

**Highlights:** 250 meter radar, Future radar, High resolution satellite imagery, Current weather updates, Daily and hourly forecasts, Favorite locations, Severe weather alerts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Necessary for storms and floods and hurricanes
- 👍 Excellent
- 👍 Everything is very accurate
- 👍 Great
- 👍 Awesome

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Notifications
- 🐛 Weather radar
- 🐛 Don't doomsday weather and app ad me
- 🔋 Too many ads
- 🐛 VNL weather tracker

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Radar doesn't update
- Radar twitches and scrolling malfunctions

**Requested features**

- Localize the weather alerts
- More details on daily like rain amount
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard


### MDSS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mdss/id663910124)

This app provides mobile access to winter maintenance decision support for transportation agencies. It offers route-specific recommendations, weather and pavement forecasts, and observational data. Access is restricted to preauthorized users.

**Highlights:** Route-specific winter maintenance recommendations, Weather and pavement forecasts, FAA/NWS and RWIS observations, Weather maps, Camera images

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is VNL Weather free?

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

### Is MDSS free?

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

### Which has better reviews, VNL Weather or MDSS?

VNL Weather is rated higher. VNL Weather averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9K ratings, while MDSS averages 2.6 from 20 ratings.

### Do VNL Weather or MDSS have ads?

VNL Weather shows ads; MDSS does not.

### Which is updated more often, VNL Weather or MDSS?

VNL Weather ships an update every 2 months, and MDSS monthly. Most recently, VNL Weather was updated on October 29, 2026 and MDSS on October 26, 2026.

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