Comparison

FEMA vs MyShake Earthquake Alerts

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

Head to head
About

FEMA

This app provides essential tools and information for disaster preparedness, safety, and recovery. Receive real-time alerts, access guidance on emergency plans and kits, and find information on disaster assistance.

Highlights
  • Real-time weather and emergency alerts
  • Disaster preparedness guidance
  • Actionable safety advice
  • Disaster recovery assistance information
  • Location-based alerts
  • Accessibility features
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The official FEMA mobile app provides essential tools and information to help you prepare for, stay safe during, and recover from disasters. Empower yourself and your loved ones with critical resources at your fingertips. Key Features: - Timely and Relevant Alerts: Receive real-time weather and emergency alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS) and Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), tailored to your specified locations (up to five), utilizing zip code precision. Stay informed about potential hazards affecting the areas you care about. - Comprehensive Preparedness Guidance: Access clear, concise information on how to prepare for various disasters. Learn how to develop a family emergency communication plan and build an effective emergency kit. - Actionable Safety Advice: Understand immediate steps to take to protect yourself and your family during different types of emergencies. - Disaster Recovery Assistance: Find answers to frequently asked questions about the disaster assistance process and locate FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers nearby. - Accessibility Focused: Designed with accessibility in mind, the app is compatible with screen reader technology and adheres to federal accessibility standards. Be proactive in ensuing your safety and resilience. Download the official FEMA App today to access vital information and resources when you need them most. It’s a free and essential tool for every individual and family. If you have any questions, comments or ideas, we’d love to hear them. Contact us at fema-app@fema.dhs.gov. Important: Tornado alerts are a moving target using polygon tracking for accuracy. Real-time tornado alerts based on your current location are not currently offered in the FEMA app.

About

MyShake Earthquake Alerts

Get timely earthquake early warnings for California, Oregon, and Washington. Access safety tips, explore global earthquake data on a map, and contribute to a citizen-science seismic network. Receive notifications for earthquakes based on your region and magnitude preferences.

Highlights
  • Earthquake Early Warnings
  • Earthquake Safety Tips
  • Global Earthquake Map
  • Customizable Notifications
  • Citizen-Science Seismic Network
  • Multilingual Support
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

MyShake is a comprehensive and free earthquake app offering these features: Earthquake Early Warnings Receive timely, potentially life-saving early warning alerts in California, Oregon and Washington. MyShake uses the USGS ShakeAlertTM system to deliver alerts for earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 (or greater) several seconds before shaking arrives. Earthquake Safety View safety tips for earthquake preparedness such as securing hazardous or moveable items and creating a disaster plan. Know what to do during an earthquake and learn more about Drop, Cover and Hold On! Earthquake Map and Details View and explore a map of earthquakes around the world and get detailed information such as earthquake magnitude, location and depth. Share your own experience of an earthquake and see community reports of shaking and damage. Earthquake Notifications Stay informed of earthquakes as they occur by receiving notifications on your phone. Select your regions of interest and the earthquake magnitude. You’ll never miss out on any earthquake greater than magnitude 3.5! Smartphone-Based Global Seismic Network Participate in a smartphone-based global seismic network. In this research project, your phone becomes a mini-seismometer and contributes to the detection of earthquakes wherever you are. This global citizen-science based seismic network has the potential to provide early warning earthquake alerts in every region of the world, even in the absence of traditional seismic networks! About Us MyShake is developed by the University of California, Berkeley, Seismology Lab and funded by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. The Berkeley Seismology Lab conducts essential research on earthquakes and solid earth processes while collecting and delivering high quality geophysical data. MyShake is available in English, Spanish (Español), Chinese Traditional (繁體中文), Filipino, Korean (한국인), and Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt). MyShake is available to everyone for free with no ads and no subscription! Learn more at http://myshake.berkeley.edu/

Screenshots

FEMA4 screens
MyShake Earthquake Alerts4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: FEMA at 3.7 against MyShake Earthquake Alerts's 3.3. FEMA also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 51%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

FEMA holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 1.9K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of FEMA's written reviews are positive against 51% of MyShake Earthquake Alerts's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FEMA ships an update every 2 months, MyShake Earthquake Alerts every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
FEMA versus MyShake Earthquake Alerts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFEMAMyShake Earthquake Alerts
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (1K ratings) — better3.3 (1.9K ratings)
Positive reviews68.9% of reviews — better51.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1K1.9K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#26 — better#62
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB135 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFederal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)University of California, Berkeley

Customer experience

FEMA

All ratings1,025 ratings
Positive62.8%
Neutral9.0%
Negative28.2%
Written reviews251 reviews
Positive68.9%
Neutral8.8%
Negative22.3%

MyShake Earthquake Alerts

All ratings1,913 ratings
Positive52.1%
Neutral9.5%
Negative38.5%
Written reviews228 reviews
Positive51.3%
Neutral9.6%
Negative39.0%

User reviews

FEMA

From 1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate and timely weather alerts
  • 👍 Helpful preparedness information
  • 🚨 Essential for emergency situations
  • ⚠️ Valuable real-time updates
  • 🗺️ Ability to monitor multiple locations

Room to improve

  • 🔁 Repetitive and excessive notifications
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding/accessing alerts
  • 🐛 Bugs causing app crashes or issues
  • 🤔 Confusing or unintuitive interface
  • 🗺️ Limited location tracking capabilities

MyShake Earthquake Alerts

From 1.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Early earthquake warning
  • 👍 Useful for earthquake preparedness
  • 🚨 Alerts before shaking starts
  • 🗺️ Detailed earthquake information
  • 🤖 Automated reporting of felt earthquakes

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unreliable notifications
  • 🔔 Excessive or unnecessary alerts
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🗺️ Difficult to filter by location
  • 🤖 Inability to report felt earthquakes

Bugs and requests

FEMA

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Alerts not showing up in the app
  • Locations being repeatedly deleted
  • Inability to add or update locations
  • Notification badge not clearing properly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Customizable notification settings
  • Ability to view past/archived alerts
  • Integration with other weather/emergency apps
  • Improved mapping and location services

MyShake Earthquake Alerts

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App freezing or crashing when reporting earthquakes
  • Inconsistent or outdated earthquake data
  • Location services not working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Customizable alert settings by location
  • Louder and more distinct alert sounds
  • Support for iPad and tablet devices
  • Ability to view historical earthquake data
  • Integration with other emergency systems

In-app purchases

None

FEMA

No in-app purchases

None

MyShake Earthquake Alerts

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FEMA free?
FEMA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MyShake Earthquake Alerts free?
MyShake Earthquake Alerts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FEMA or MyShake Earthquake Alerts?
FEMA is rated higher. FEMA averages 3.7 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while MyShake Earthquake Alerts averages 3.3 from 1.9K ratings.
Do FEMA or MyShake Earthquake Alerts have ads?
Neither FEMA nor MyShake Earthquake Alerts shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FEMA or MyShake Earthquake Alerts?
FEMA ships an update every 2 months, and MyShake Earthquake Alerts every 3 months. Most recently, FEMA was updated on November 6, 2026 and MyShake Earthquake Alerts on November 6, 2026.
Which is more popular, FEMA or MyShake Earthquake Alerts?
FEMA currently peaks at #26 in the App Store charts, and MyShake Earthquake Alerts at #62. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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