KTTC First Alert Weather vs NewsChannel 3
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
KTTC First Alert Weather
Get hyper-local weather information with high-resolution radar and satellite imagery. Receive severe weather alerts and detailed forecasts for your favorite locations or current position.
- 250 meter radar
- Future radar
- High resolution satellite imagery
- Current weather updates
- Daily and hourly forecasts
- Favorite location saving
- GPS location awareness
- Severe weather alerts
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The KTTC First Alert Weather App includes: * Access to station content specifically for our mobile users * 250 meter radar, the highest resolution available * Future radar to see where severe weather is headed * High resolution satellite cloud imagery * Current weather updated multiple times per hour * Daily and Hourly forecasts updated hourly from our computer models * Ability to add and save your favorite locations * A fully integrated GPS for current location awareness * Severe weather alerts from the National Weather Service * Opt-in push alerts to keep you safe in severe weather
NewsChannel 3
Get comprehensive weather updates for Santa Barbara and surrounding areas. Access current conditions, forecasts, severe weather alerts, and video reports from a dedicated weather team. Stay informed with VIPIR Radar and breaking weather headlines.
- Local weather information
- Current conditions
- Forecasts
- Severe weather alerts
- VIPIR Radar
- Video weather reports
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KEYT First Alert Weather delivers complete weather information for Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and surrounding communitues. The weather team from KEYT NewsChannel 3 and KCOY Central Coast News keeps you informed on current conditions and provides constant updates with VIPIR Radar, forecasts, severe weather alerts, video and headlines.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: KTTC First Alert Weather at 4.7 against NewsChannel 3's 2.9. KTTC First Alert Weather also leads on review sentiment (44% vs 17%) and ratings volume (4.1K vs 13). NewsChannel 3's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
KTTC First Alert Weather holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KTTC First Alert Weather has 4.1K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of KTTC First Alert Weather's written reviews are positive against 17% of NewsChannel 3's.
KTTC First Alert Weather ships an update every 2 months, NewsChannel 3 every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and June 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | KTTC First Alert Weather | NewsChannel 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (4.1K ratings) — better | 2.9 (13 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 43.9% of reviews — better | 16.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4.1K — better | 13 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 252 MB | 95 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gray Television Group, Inc. | News-Press & Gazette Company |
Customer experience
KTTC First Alert Weather
NewsChannel 3
Bugs and requests
KTTC First Alert Weather
Reported bugs
3 issues- Radar not working during storms
- App not opening on iPad with latest OS
- Alerts delayed by 5 minutes
Requested features
4 requests- Add school closings and delays
- Improve radar and map features
- Faster updates during severe weather
- Landscape mode support for iPad
NewsChannel 3
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
KTTC First Alert Weather
No in-app purchases
NewsChannel 3
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is KTTC First Alert Weather free?
Is NewsChannel 3 free?
Which has better reviews, KTTC First Alert Weather or NewsChannel 3?
Do KTTC First Alert Weather or NewsChannel 3 have ads?
Which is updated more often, KTTC First Alert Weather or NewsChannel 3?
Other comparisons
