Comparison

EF Scale vs Disaster Watch

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

Head to head
About

EF Scale

Assess tornado and wind damage with this tool that simplifies the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale. Follow on-screen prompts to select damage indicators and degrees of damage, then adjust for construction variability to estimate wind speeds.

Highlights
  • Simplified EF Scale assessment
  • Damage indicator selection
  • Degree of damage input
  • Construction variability adjustment
  • Visual damage examples
  • About and share functions
Features
Read full description

Rate tornado damage the way surveyors do. EF Scale puts the complete Enhanced Fujita scale on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac — all 28 damage indicators, every degree of damage, and the expected wind speeds behind each rating. Browse structure types from small barns and family residences to high-rise buildings, transmission lines, and trees. Compare what you see against reference photos and construction details, then pick a degree of damage and tune the wind speed estimate between its bounds to account for construction quality. • All 28 damage indicators of the Enhanced Fujita scale • Reference photos and construction details for every indicator • Degrees of damage with expected wind speeds and EF ratings • Interactive wind speed estimator with adjustable bounds • EF0–EF5 rating reference, always a tap away • Everything stored on device — works fully offline in the field Built for storm spotters, damage surveyors, emergency managers, students, and weather enthusiasts. *** PLEASE REMEMBER: This app is for reference purposes only. Doing a real damage survey takes knowledge and experience you can't build into an app! Official damage assessments are the business of the National Weather Service and their delegates! ***

About

Disaster Watch

Receive timely alerts for weather, earthquakes, and tsunamis directly from Maldivian authorities. This application is designed to keep you informed and safe.

Highlights
  • Weather alerts
  • Earthquake alerts
  • Tsunami alerts
  • Official alerts from Maldivian authorities
  • Safety information
Features
Read full description

Stay safe by keeping updated on weather, earthquake and tusnami alerts issued by Maldivian authorities. Application made for National Disaster Management Center of the Maldives

Screenshots

EF Scale4 screens
Disaster Watch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Disaster Watch at 5.0 against EF Scale's 4.5. Disaster Watch also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 20 months) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 26.0). EF Scale's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Disaster Watch holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EF Scale ships an update every 20 months, Disaster Watch every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
EF Scale versus Disaster Watch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEF ScaleDisaster Watch
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS26.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWeatherWary LLCMohamed Maail

Customer experience

EF Scale

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral22.2%
Negative11.1%

Disaster Watch

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

EF Scale

No in-app purchases

None

Disaster Watch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is EF Scale free?
EF Scale is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Disaster Watch free?
Disaster Watch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, EF Scale or Disaster Watch?
Disaster Watch is rated higher. EF Scale averages 4.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Disaster Watch averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do EF Scale or Disaster Watch have ads?
Neither EF Scale nor Disaster Watch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, EF Scale or Disaster Watch?
EF Scale ships an update every 20 months, and Disaster Watch every 2 days. Most recently, EF Scale was updated on September 15, 2026 and Disaster Watch on September 21, 2026.

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