Comparison

First Alert Weather vs Storm Shield

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

Head to head
About

First Alert Weather

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
Read full description

The WLBT Mobile Weather App includes: * Access to station content specifically for our mobile users * 250 meter radar, the highest resolution available * Future radar to see where severe weather is headed * High resolution satellite cloud imagery * Current weather updated multiple times per hour * Daily and Hourly forecasts updated hourly from our computer models * Ability to add and save your favorite locations * A fully integrated GPS for current location awareness * Severe weather alerts from the National Weather Service * Opt-in push alerts to keep you safe in severe weather

About

Storm Shield

Receive precise, location-based severe weather alerts for tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and more. Get voice and push notifications, view radar maps, and access forecasts. Optional premium features offer advanced radar imagery and lightning alerts.

Highlights
  • Location-based severe weather alerts
  • Voice and push notifications
  • Hi-Def radar map
  • Today screen widget
  • Apple Watch alerts
  • Current conditions and forecasts
  • Save additional locations
Currently charting
Read full description

Named by Time.com's @Techland as one of the best weather apps for your iPhone and Apple Watch. Severe weather alerts for your exact location. Storm Shield gives you storm-based alerts for tornado, hurricane, flood, thunderstorm, winter storms and other life-threatening weather events via voice and push notification. Storm-based alerts help reduce false alarms by alerting you to severe weather based on your exact location within a county. County-based alerts can result in false alarms, warning you when your location in the county is not within the threatened area. What people are saying: • Storm Shield "alerted our family of the Broken Arrow, OK tornado, faster than the TV and tornado sirens." - Robyn • "I was in Oklahoma City during the tornado... we were right in its path. Your app literally was a life saver." - dcalk12 Benefits: • Get voice alerts just like a NOAA weather radio via push notification anywhere in the United States. • With Apple Watch, get a tap on your wrist when alerts are issued for your locations. • Add Storm Shield's widget to your Today screen to get quick access to active alerts for the first location in your app. • Touch Storm Shield's app icon on your 3D-Touch enabled iPhone for widget access. • Hi-Def radar map is your home screen so you can quickly see what's going on at your locations. • Fully supports Dark Mode in iOS 13. • Long-tap on the map to get current conditions, hourly and daily forecasts. • Save additional locations to ensure family members stay safe. View NOAA severe weather alerts on the map to see where dangerous weather is happening: • Tap alerts to view info • Flood watches & warnings • Tornadoes & Thunderstorms • Hurricane & Tropical Storm forecast tracks • Winter storms • Marine & Coastal alerts • Radar & Clouds • Wind Speed • Snow Fall • Water Temperatures • Road Weather • Premium Weather (purchase required) • Lightning Alerts and notifications (purchase required) Enhance your app with auto-renewing monthly subscriptions: • Buy 'Premium Weather' to unlock these features and see predicted imagery for these map layers: 1) Future Radar 2) Future Clouds 3) Future Clouds & Radar together 4) Future Surface Temperature Land 5) Future Surface Temperature Water 6) Future Surface Temperature Land & Water together 7) Future Wind Speeds Map 8) Storm Tracks: See how fast storms are moving & where they're headed. • Buy 'Lightning' to unlock these 2 features: 1) Lightning strike push notifications up to 10 miles away. 2) See lightning on the map within 100 miles of a selected location. Note: • Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. • Privacy Policy: https://www.stormshieldapp.com/privacy_stormshield_wxs.html • Terms of Use: https://www.stormshieldapp.com/terms_stormshield_wxs.html • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Storm Shield is made possible by The E.W. Scripps Company & KNXV Phoenix, WCPO Cincinnati, WEWS Cleveland, WXYZ Detroit, WMAR Baltimore, WFTS Tampa, WPTV West Palm, KSHB Kansas City, KJRH Tulsa, RTV6 Indianapolis, KMGH Denver, KGTV San Diego, KERO Bakersfield, WKBW Buffalo, WTVF Nashville, KMTV Omaha, WSYM Lansing, WFTX Ft. Myers, WTMJ Milwaukee, WGBA Green Bay, KIVI Boise, KTNV Las Vegas, KGUN Tucson, WTXL Tallahassee, KXXV Waco, KRIS Corpus Christi. Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Screenshots

First Alert Weather4 screens
Storm Shield4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: First Alert Weather at none against Storm Shield's 7. First Alert Weather also leads on review sentiment (57% vs 38%). Storm Shield's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and chart position (#16 vs unranked). On price, rating, 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

Both are free to download. Storm Shield sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. First Alert Weather asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for First Alert Weather against 4.8 for Storm Shield. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Storm Shield has 111K ratings behind it against 19K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of First Alert Weather's written reviews are positive against 38% of Storm Shield's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

First Alert Weather ships an update every 2 months, Storm Shield weekly. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
First Alert Weather versus Storm Shield: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirst Alert WeatherStorm Shield
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (19K ratings)4.8 (111K ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.4% of reviews — better37.8% of reviews
Number of ratings19K111K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#16 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size257 MB91 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGray Television Group, Inc.Mosaic S.r.l.

Customer experience

First Alert Weather

All ratings19,460 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral3.2%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews101 reviews
Positive57.4%
Neutral6.9%
Negative35.6%

Storm Shield

All ratings110,836 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral2.6%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews278 reviews
Positive37.8%
Neutral9.7%
Negative52.5%

User reviews

First Alert Weather

From 19K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🔍 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

Storm Shield

From 111K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fastest weather alerts
  • 📡 Accurate radar and forecasts
  • 🔔 Customizable alerts and notifications
  • 💻 Simple and easy to use interface
  • 🗺️ Tracking multiple locations

Room to improve

  • 💰 Subscription model for advanced features
  • 🔇 Loud and disruptive alerts
  • 🕰️ Delayed alerts compared to other apps
  • 🔍 Difficulty customizing alert locations
  • 🔋 High battery consumption

Bugs and requests

First Alert Weather

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashing or freezing
  • Location not being saved properly
  • Radar and weather data not updating correctly

Requested features

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

Storm Shield

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inconsistent alert delivery
  • Radar map not always showing correct location
  • Subscription features not working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to read alert details in notifications
  • Option to silence alerts during certain times
  • More customization for alert types and locations
  • Horizontal radar view with manual scrolling
  • Integration with smart home devices for alerts

In-app purchases

None

First Alert Weather

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Storm Shield

Subscriptions7
  • Weekly Subscription$1.997 Days
  • Weekly with Free Trial7 Days trial$1.997 Days
  • Premium Weather$10.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Lightning Strikes$10.991 Month
  • 30-Day Limited Offer Upgrade1 Month trial$11.491 Month
  • Yearly with Free Trial7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription$29.991 Year

Questions

Is First Alert Weather free?
First Alert Weather is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Storm Shield free?
Storm Shield is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, First Alert Weather or Storm Shield?
Storm Shield is rated higher. First Alert Weather averages 4.7 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while Storm Shield averages 4.8 from 111K ratings.
Do First Alert Weather or Storm Shield have ads?
Both First Alert Weather and Storm Shield show ads.
Which is updated more often, First Alert Weather or Storm Shield?
First Alert Weather ships an update every 2 months, and Storm Shield weekly. Most recently, First Alert Weather was updated on October 19, 2026 and Storm Shield on October 19, 2026.

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