Comparison

Cloud Map vs Waterscope Weather

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

Head to head
About

Cloud Map

Access satellite imagery from over 120 NOAA weather stations to view cloud cover. Utilize GPS to locate nearby stations or save favorites for quick access. View current conditions on Apple Watch.

Highlights
  • 120+ NOAA weather station satellite images
  • Visible cloud cover view
  • GPS for nearest station
  • Favorite weather stations list
  • Apple Watch integration
  • Standard and Pro versions
Features
Read full description

Quickly check any of the 120 NOAA weather station satellite images for visible cloud cover. If you travel, you can use the GPS feature to find the nearest weather station image. You can also collect a list of your favorite weather stations for easy reference. The standard version includes 2 satellite views. View the current satellite image on Apple Watch. Upgrade to Pro version and get 23 satellite views.

About

Waterscope Weather

This weather app provides detailed water-centric conditions like tides, wave heights, and water temperatures. It also includes forecasts for air temperature, wind, and satellite imagery, drawing data from NOAA and NWS.

Highlights
  • Tide predictions
  • Wave height and water temperature
  • Wind speed and air temperature
  • Moon phase and position
  • Satellite imagery
  • Hurricane forecasts
  • Onshore observations
Read full description

Waterscope is a weather app for people who love being around water. Whether you're surfing, fishing, boating, or just taking the dog for a walk on the beach, Waterscope will keep you informed about your local conditions. The data presented comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Weather Service (NWS). This app would not be possible without the scientific contributions from the people at these valuable public institutions. The app uses a series of screens to present this information: HOME When you launch Waterscope, you'll be presented with a screen that shows a graph of high and low tides for the nearest measuring station. Below that are wave heights and water temperatures for the closest NOAA buoy. These are followed by wind speed and air temperature measurements for a nearby NWS weather station. Above the graphs, you'll see the current phase of the Moon and its position on the horizon. Below you'll see the sun's position relative to your location on Earth. The clock at the bottom shows the current time, or the time for past data samples and future forecasts. Tap on the clock to scroll back to the current time. Tap on any large blue ring to show more information. Smaller blue rings make adjustments to what you're currently viewing. Tapping on the icon in the upper-left corner will show an overlay that explains the symbols and markers. EARTH The Earth view shows the last 24 hours of satellite imagery near your current location (the small blue dot is you!) Tap the + button to see a larger version of the latest image. The hurricane symbol at the top of the view will show the latest forecasts from the National Hurricane Center. MOON The Moon view shows the phase and location of the Moon for the next year. The white dot shows the height above the horizon, and when you align the blue arrow with the centerline and look up you'll see Earth's biggest satellite :-) SEA This view of the sea shows markers for observations collected by the National Data Buoy Center. The arrow points in the directions waves are heading: tap it to show water temperature, wave height, and an average period between waves. To make any buoy's data show up on the home screen, tap the heart icon. LAND Like the view of the sea, but with onshore observations collected by the National Weather Service. The arrow shows wind direction and tapping the marker shows the air temperature, wind speed with gusts, and barometric pressure. Tap the heart to add it to home. TIDE This view shows nearby tide stations: tap on any marker to get the current prediction at that location. Like the other map views, the tide station can be added to the main screen using the heart icon. FORECAST If you move forward in time, you'll see a forecast for air temperature and conditions. Tap on the conditions to get an expanded view that includes wind speed and direction.

Screenshots

Cloud Map4 screens
Waterscope Weather4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Waterscope Weather at none against Cloud Map's 1. Waterscope Weather also leads on review sentiment (47% vs 33%). Cloud Map's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Cloud Map sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Waterscope Weather asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cloud Map ships an update monthly, Waterscope Weather every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Cloud Map versus Waterscope Weather: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCloud MapWaterscope Weather
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.2 (24 ratings) — better
Positive reviews32.6% of reviews47.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—24 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.215.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DevelopernáhodnýThe Iconfactory

Customer experience

Cloud Map

Written reviews43 reviews
Positive32.6%
Neutral7.0%
Negative60.5%

Waterscope Weather

All ratings24 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral8.3%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive47.1%
Neutral17.6%
Negative35.3%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Cloud Map

One-time1
  • Cloud Map Pro$3.99
None

Waterscope Weather

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cloud Map free?
Cloud Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Waterscope Weather free?
Waterscope Weather is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Cloud Map or Waterscope Weather have ads?
Neither Cloud Map nor Waterscope Weather shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cloud Map or Waterscope Weather?
Cloud Map ships an update monthly, and Waterscope Weather every 5 months. Most recently, Cloud Map was updated on September 28, 2026 and Waterscope Weather on September 30, 2026.

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