Comparison

AfricaWeather vs Lightning Alarm

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

Head to head
About

AfricaWeather

Get accurate daily weather forecasts, observations, and storm tracking for Africa. Make informed decisions with detailed local conditions, including temperature, wind, and precipitation. Explore interactive maps and receive push notifications for weather alerts.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of weather station observations
  • 7-day weather forecasts
  • Sunrise, sunset, and moon information
  • Hourly temperature, rain, and wind forecasts
  • Automated video maps
  • Storm tracker with lightning and satellite layers
  • Push notifications
Features
Read full description

AfricaWeather smarter weather insights, built for Africa. The all new AfricaWeather app gives you accurate, easy-to-read weather for your location and anywhere else you care about. Check the conditions before you head out, plan your week around the 10 day outlook, or dig into the hourly detail. No account, no subscription just download it and go. KEY FEATURES Current conditions with feels like temperature, daily high and low 10 day forecast with daily highs, lows and conditions at a glance 24 hour forecast with hourly temperature and chance of rain Wind speed and direction on a live compass Humidity and dew point Visibility with hourly trends Atmospheric pressure Sunrise, sunset and total daylight hours Moon phase, illumination, moonrise and moonset Tap any metric for a full breakdown with hourly charts Save multiple locations and switch between them instantly DATA SOURCES Data used within the AfricaWeather app comes from a range of sources, including observations from automated weather stations and airports, and forecasts generated by industry-leading ensembles that draw on all major global weather models to produce the most accurate forecast available. ABOUT AFRICAWEATHER AfricaWeather is Africa's leading commercial weather information provider, serving the agriculture, mining, construction, education and consumer markets. We serve over a million Africans through our website and mobile applications, interpreting weather information and making it relevant to your day. Visit www.africaweather.com for more information. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Lightning Alarm

Receive timely notifications about approaching thunderstorms and lightning strikes in your vicinity. This app provides accurate lightning detection and displays real-time information on a map, ensuring safety during outdoor activities.

Highlights
  • Real-time lightning detection
  • Approaching storm notifications
  • Lightning distance display
  • Map view of lightning strikes
  • Textual storm information
  • Push message alerts
Features
Read full description

Always safe with Lightning Alarm. You will be notified if a thunderstorm is in your area. The lightning detection is very accurate and the (automated) notifications are essential for safe outdoor activities. At a glance you can see the nearest lightning. Displayed on the map and in text, you see the current distance from the thunderstorm to your location. You can even set up a push message, notifying you for approaching storms. This App is unique and a must for your safety during outdoor activities. The information is based on the detection network of Meteoplaza.com. With this network 98% of all lightning discharges are detected, resulting in a high quality of the warnings! Lightning Alarm, you have been warned! Lightning Alarm Premium can be purchased through iTunes for € 3.49 per year. € 3.49 will be charged within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Subscriptions are user-managed and auto-renewal can be turned off by going to Apple ID settings. By purchasing Lightning Alarm Premium you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Privacy statement: https://www.infoplaza.nl/en/about-us/disclaimer-privacy/ Terms of Service: https://www.infoplaza.nl/en/about-us/terms-of-use-lightning-alarm/

Screenshots

AfricaWeather4 screens
Lightning Alarm4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Lightning Alarm at every 2 months against AfricaWeather's every 6 months. Lightning Alarm also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 67%) and ratings volume (890 vs 257). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. AfricaWeather sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per year and Lightning Alarm sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for AfricaWeather against 4.5 for Lightning Alarm. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 257 and 890 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of AfricaWeather's written reviews are positive against 80% of Lightning Alarm's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AfricaWeather ships an update every 6 months, Lightning Alarm every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
AfricaWeather versus Lightning Alarm: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAfricaWeatherLightning Alarm
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (257 ratings) — better4.5 (890 ratings)
Positive reviews67.5% of reviews80.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings257890 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB79 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAfricaWeather.comInfoplaza BV

Customer experience

AfricaWeather

All ratings258 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral6.2%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews169 reviews
Positive67.5%
Neutral9.5%
Negative23.1%

Lightning Alarm

All ratings889 ratings
Positive88.3%
Neutral5.2%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews533 reviews
Positive80.5%
Neutral5.3%
Negative14.3%

User reviews

AfricaWeather

From 257 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate weather forecasts
  • 📊 Detailed weather information
  • 🔔 Useful notifications and alerts
  • 🗺️ Comprehensive coverage of South African locations
  • 👍 User-friendly interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent or inaccurate weather data
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔍 Limited free features
  • 🌐 Lack of integration with other weather services
  • 🕰️ Outdated or slow updates

Lightning Alarm

From 890 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐️ Excellent app
  • 👍 Works great
  • 🚀 Accurate and precise
  • 🔔 Helpful notifications
  • 🌩️ Tracks lightning effectively

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes or freezes
  • ⚠️ Inaccurate or unreliable
  • 🔍 Difficult to set location
  • 🔢 Metric units not preferred

Bugs and requests

AfricaWeather

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes or freezes
  • Incorrect location data
  • Delayed or missing notifications
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
  • Syncing problems between devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Hourly weather forecasts
  • Live weather radar
  • GPS-based location tracking
  • Customizable widgets and home screen integration
  • Improved storm and severe weather warnings

Lightning Alarm

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Notifications not working
  • Map tiles not loading properly
  • App crashing on launch

Requested features

4 requests
  • Option to switch between miles and kilometers
  • Add multiple locations to track
  • Improve map visuals and details
  • Customizable alert radius

In-app purchases

3 purchases

AfricaWeather

Subscriptions3
  • Ad-free Subscription1 Month trial$2.491 Year
  • AfricaWeather Pro Subscription1 Month trial$2.991 Month
  • Ad-free Subscription1 Month trial$2.991 Year
4 purchases

Lightning Alarm

Subscriptions1
  • Lightning Alarm Premium$2.991 Year
One-time3
  • 1 month ad free$0.99
  • 3 months ad free$1.99
  • 1 year ad free$2.99

Questions

Is AfricaWeather free?
AfricaWeather is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lightning Alarm free?
Lightning Alarm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AfricaWeather or Lightning Alarm?
AfricaWeather is rated higher. AfricaWeather averages 4.5 out of 5 from 257 ratings, while Lightning Alarm averages 4.5 from 890 ratings.
Do AfricaWeather or Lightning Alarm have ads?
Both AfricaWeather and Lightning Alarm show ads.
Which is updated more often, AfricaWeather or Lightning Alarm?
AfricaWeather ships an update every 6 months, and Lightning Alarm every 2 months. Most recently, AfricaWeather was updated on October 24, 2026 and Lightning Alarm on October 24, 2026.

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