Comparison

AfricaWeather vs WeatherSmart

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

WeatherSmart

Get severe weather warnings and detailed forecasts for your current location and any other area. Customize settings like update frequency and do not disturb times. View daily highs, lows, and wind direction.

Highlights
  • Severe weather warnings
  • Current location weather
  • Forecasts for selected locations
  • Seven-day forecast
  • Temperature and wind data
  • Customizable settings
Features
Read full description

WeatherSmart, from the South African Weather Service (SAWS), provides you with severe weather warnings and other handy weather information for your immediate surroundings and other areas. WeatherSmart includes the following features and options: • Severe weather warnings • Weather conditions and forecast for your current location. • Search for and add other locations. • A seven day forecast for all your selected locations. • Minimum & maximum temperature(s). • Wind direction(s). • Weather notices, warnings and alerts. • Customise settings according to your needs: - Edit My Locations - Do Not Disturb Times - Weather Update Frequency Disclaimer: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. This application only supports iOS 8+.

Screenshots

AfricaWeather4 screens
WeatherSmart4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: AfricaWeather at 67% against WeatherSmart's 9%. AfricaWeather also leads on rating (4.5 vs 1.5) and ratings volume (258 vs 4). WeatherSmart's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AfricaWeather holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AfricaWeather has 258 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of AfricaWeather's written reviews are positive against 9% of WeatherSmart's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
AfricaWeather versus WeatherSmart: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAfricaWeatherWeatherSmart
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (258 ratings) — better1.5 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews66.9% of reviews — better8.8% of reviews
Number of ratings258 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB55 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAfricaWeather.comAfriGIS Pty Ltd

Customer experience

AfricaWeather

All ratings258 ratings
Positive89.1%
Neutral6.2%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews172 reviews
Positive66.9%
Neutral9.3%
Negative23.8%

WeatherSmart

All ratings4 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative75.0%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive8.8%
Neutral2.9%
Negative88.2%

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

WeatherSmart

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

AfricaWeather

No in-app purchases

None

WeatherSmart

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AfricaWeather free?
AfricaWeather is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is WeatherSmart free?
WeatherSmart is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, AfricaWeather or WeatherSmart?
AfricaWeather is rated higher. AfricaWeather averages 4.5 out of 5 from 258 ratings, while WeatherSmart averages 1.5 from 4 ratings.
Do AfricaWeather or WeatherSmart have ads?
AfricaWeather shows ads; WeatherSmart does not.
Which is updated more often, AfricaWeather or WeatherSmart?
AfricaWeather ships an update every 3 months, and WeatherSmart every 3 months. Most recently, AfricaWeather was updated on November 1, 2026 and WeatherSmart on October 26, 2026.

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