Disaster ID vs Ground Truth
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Disaster ID
This app helps first responders visually identify and locate individuals during emergencies. It uses color-coded signals to indicate different groups and their status, such as needing medical assistance or being safe. An updated version, Visual 911+, also offers GPS location sharing with family and friends.
- Visual identification for responders
- Color-coded signals for groups
- Status indicators (OK/Medical Assistance)
- GPS location sharing (Visual 911+)
- Emergency signaling device
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When a disaster has struck during the night or under adverse conditions (ex. blacked out building), activate your Disaster ID app to help responders visually identify/locate you faster. The color code follows: Red = Children Green = Special Needs Blue = Adults Yellow = Service Animals/Pets Steady signal = I’m OK Flashing signal = Need medical assistance Try the updated version of the Disaster ID app called Visual 911+ app. Visual 911+ not only turns your screen into a visual signaling device, but if networks are up an running it also transmits your general GPS location to your family/friends via email when you activate an "Alert" status, including "I'm Safe". For longer lasting visual signaling capability purchase the original Everything/Tactical Lights at TsunamiLights.com . They will last from 4 to 9 days on a solid color selection and 7 to 15 days on a flashing selection. The Everything/Tactical Light have a lock feature that prevents the lights from being inadvertently changed or turned off. Featuring a last selection memory, the Everything/Tactical Light will turn back on the selected color in case power is lost due to shock received by the light. Everything/Tactical Lights are pressure tested to 200 ft. of water and are combat proven. Buy one for each member of your family and empower yourself and your loved ones to help first responders help you and your family. Great back up emergency lights!
Ground Truth
Access official NWS storm reports, including tornado, hail, and wind data, presented on an interactive map. Quickly find local news, scanner feeds, and power outage information. Designed for disaster relief professionals and volunteers.
- Official NWS storm reports
- Interactive CONUS map
- Offline storm data access
- Local resource links
- Power outage maps
- NWS damage photos (Pro)
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Ground Truth puts every official NWS wind, hail, and tornado report on one fast, interactive map. Pick any date back to June 1999 or track severe weather reports as they come in today. Tap any pin for NWS report details and one-tap links to radar, local news, scanners, and more. Purpose-built for spotters, chasers, disaster relief teams, emergency managers, and first responders, by a fellow disaster relief volunteer. WHAT YOU CAN DO - Plot tornado, hail, and damaging-wind reports for any day since June 1999 - View live Local Storm Reports (flash floods, wildfires, heavy rain, ice, and more) - See EF-rated tornado damage tracks from official NWS surveys, with length, width, peak wind, and more - Tap any report for instant links to radar, social feeds, scanners, and local media - Download data for the field and keep working with zero signal - Get alerts for NWS storm reports in the states you follow - Share storm summary maps and videos - Filter by report type, hail size, and wind speed - View live warnings and radar BUILT FOR - Storm chasers and weather enthusiasts who want all the data - SKYWARN spotters and meteorologists verifying what actually happened - Emergency managers, CERT, ham radio operators and disaster-relief teams providing relief - Roofing/restoration teams and insurance adjusters confirming hail and wind damage by date and location FREE FOR EVERYONE - Every NWS storm report since June 1999 - Live Local Storm Reports (wildfire, rainfall totals, ice accumulations, and more) - EF-rated tornado damage tracks - Offline downloads for the field - Storm alerts for your state - Zero ads GROUND TRUTH PRO - NWS Damage Survey Photos: ground photos from official NWS tornado surveys, county by county - Unlimited Alerts: wind, hail, and tornado notifications - Custom Action Links: add your own quick links and dynamic search queries to every report Pro keeps the whole app ad-free and directly supports an independent developer, a fellow disaster-relief worker and volunteer who built Ground Truth to help others when storms hit. DATA SOURCE Reports, tracks, and survey photos come directly from the National Weather Service, NOAA Storm Prediction Center, and the NOAA Damage Assessment Toolkit, the same sources the professionals trust. We've built additional tools and resources on top of their verified data to help others prepare and respond faster. Ground Truth is an independent app from Red Sky Ready. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by NOAA or the National Weather Service. Privacy Policy: https://redskyready.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Ground Truth at 4.9 against Disaster ID's 3.0. Ground Truth also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 21 months) and ratings volume (11 vs 2). Disaster ID's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, review sentiment, 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
Both are free to download. Ground Truth sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Disaster ID asks for nothing beyond the download.
Ground Truth holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ground Truth has 11 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Disaster ID ships an update every 21 months, Ground Truth every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Disaster ID | Ground Truth |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) | 4.9 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 11 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 21 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 100 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Southwest Synergistic Solutions LLC | Red Sky Ready |
Customer experience
Disaster ID
Ground Truth
In-app purchases
Disaster ID
No in-app purchases
Ground Truth
- Ground Truth Pro7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Ground Truth Pro7 Days trial$19.991 Year
Questions
Is Disaster ID free?
Is Ground Truth free?
Which has better reviews, Disaster ID or Ground Truth?
Do Disaster ID or Ground Truth have ads?
Which is updated more often, Disaster ID or Ground Truth?
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