# Yr vs NIWAWeather

The clearest difference is rating: NIWAWeather at 5.0 against Yr's 4.3. Yr's advantage is review sentiment (61% vs 29%) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NIWAWeather holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Yr has 203 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 61% of Yr's written reviews are positive against 29% of NIWAWeather's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Yr ships an update every 10 days, NIWAWeather every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Yr | NIWAWeather |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (203 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yr/id490989206/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/niwaweather/id1495102257/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **203** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **60.5% of reviews** | 28.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#84** | — |
| Size | 130 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NRK](https://appshunter.io/developer/385114901) | [NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE FOR EARTH SCIENCE LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/896687691) |

## What reviewers say

### Yr

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yr/id490989206)

**Currently charting:** #84 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

This weather app offers a visually engaging way to check forecasts with animated skies and detailed hourly breakdowns. It provides real-time air pollution, pollen, and UV data, along with immediate rainfall alerts. Forecasts are delivered by a reputable meteorological institute.

**Highlights:** Animated weather visualization, Hourly and daily forecasts, Now-cast rainfall alerts, Air pollution, pollen, and UV data, Weather observations, Long-term forecast graphs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🔍 Accurate forecasts
- 📊 Detailed weather information
- 🌄 Intuitive and visually appealing interface
- 🌎 Reliable for various locations (UK, Norway, Australia, etc.)
- ⏱️ Helpful hourly/daily breakdown

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔄 Inconsistent or inaccurate weather data
- 🔍 Difficulty finding or changing locations
- 🔧 Lack of customization options (units, layout, etc.)
- 🗺️ Limited coverage in some regions

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on iOS 11 and newer
- Location tracking issues
- Widget not working as expected
- Inability to delete or reorder saved locations

**Requested features**

- Add humidity data
- Provide offline caching of weather data
- Implement Apple Watch support
- Allow changing between Celsius and Fahrenheit
- Bring back previous graph/chart layouts


### NIWAWeather

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/niwaweather/id1495102257)

Get detailed hourly and long-range weather forecasts for New Zealand, including temperature, humidity, rain, wind, and UV. Access seasonal outlooks, tide predictions, and daily video updates from meteorologists.

**Highlights:** Hourly temperature, humidity, rain, wind, cloud, UV forecasts, Seasonal outlooks with long-range predictions, New Zealand tide forecasts, Daily meteorologist video updates, Data management for environmental resources

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Yr free?

Yr is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NIWAWeather free?

NIWAWeather is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Yr or NIWAWeather?

NIWAWeather is rated higher. Yr averages 4.3 out of 5 from 203 ratings, while NIWAWeather averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Yr or NIWAWeather have ads?

Neither Yr nor NIWAWeather shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Yr or NIWAWeather?

Yr ships an update every 10 days, and NIWAWeather every 2 months. Most recently, Yr was updated on November 6, 2026 and NIWAWeather on November 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*