# First Alert Weather vs NickelBlock Forecasting

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NickelBlock Forecasting at 100% against First Alert Weather's 57%. NickelBlock Forecasting also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). First Alert Weather's advantage is ratings volume (20K vs 74) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

NickelBlock Forecasting holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Alert Weather has 20K ratings behind it against 74, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of First Alert Weather's written reviews are positive against 100% of NickelBlock Forecasting's.

First Alert Weather ships an update every 2 months, NickelBlock Forecasting every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Alert Weather | NickelBlock Forecasting |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-alert-weather/id418407216/reviews) | **[5.0 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nickelblock-forecasting/id1664283998/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 74 |
| Positive reviews | 57.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | **#159** | — |
| Size | 257 MB | 134 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gray Television Group, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/416888140) | [Nick Lilja](https://appshunter.io/developer/1664284000) |

## What reviewers say

### First Alert Weather

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-alert-weather/id418407216)

**Currently charting:** #159 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

Get hyper-local weather updates with high-resolution radar and future tracking. Receive current conditions, hourly and daily forecasts, and severe weather alerts directly from the National Weather Service. Save your favorite locations and stay informed with push notifications.

**Highlights:** High-resolution 250m radar, Future radar tracking, Hourly and daily forecasts, Current weather updates, Severe weather alerts, Favorite location saving, GPS location awareness

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate weather forecasts
- 🚀 Reliable and fast app
- 💡 Helpful weather videos and news
- 🔍 Detailed radar and weather data
- ⭐ Great app overall

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Radar overlay issues making it hard to see weather
- 🔍 Inaccurate or lacking weather details (e.g. snow amount)
- 📢 Too many ads and notifications
- ⏱️ Slow app performance and loading times
- 🔍 Radar and weather predictions not matching

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing or freezing
- Location not being saved properly
- Radar and weather data not updating correctly

**Requested features**

- Add weather widget for iOS
- Disable ads during severe weather events
- Improve radar overlay and transparency
- Provide more detailed weather forecasts


### NickelBlock Forecasting

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nickelblock-forecasting/id1664283998)

Get hyper-local weather forecasts for the Southern MS/AL/LA region and Gulf Coast. Access current conditions, radar, detailed forecasts, tropical updates, and severe weather breakdowns from a former TV meteorologist.

**Highlights:** Localized forecasts for MS/AL/LA/Gulf Coast, Current conditions and radar, Detailed local and special forecasts, Tropical updates, Severe weather breakdowns, NWS, WPC, SPC updates

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Alert Weather free?

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

### Is NickelBlock Forecasting free?

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

### Which has better reviews, First Alert Weather or NickelBlock Forecasting?

NickelBlock Forecasting is rated higher. First Alert Weather averages 4.7 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while NickelBlock Forecasting averages 5.0 from 74 ratings.

### Do First Alert Weather or NickelBlock Forecasting have ads?

Both First Alert Weather and NickelBlock Forecasting show ads.

### Which is updated more often, First Alert Weather or NickelBlock Forecasting?

First Alert Weather ships an update every 2 months, and NickelBlock Forecasting every 6 months. Most recently, First Alert Weather was updated on November 1, 2026 and NickelBlock Forecasting on October 21, 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.*