# mPing vs GLOBE Observer

The clearest difference is rating: mPing at 4.0 against GLOBE Observer's 3.1. mPing also leads on review sentiment (56% vs 34%). GLOBE Observer's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

mPing holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 154 and 86 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of mPing's written reviews are positive against 34% of GLOBE Observer's.

mPing ships an update every 6 months, GLOBE Observer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | mPing | GLOBE Observer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (154 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mping/id584383400/reviews)** | [3.1 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/globe-observer/id1090456751/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **154** | 86 |
| Positive reviews | **56.3% of reviews** | 33.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 9 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [University of Oklahoma (Information Technology)](https://appshunter.io/developer/326922841) | [NASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/355542146) |

## What reviewers say

### mPing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mping/id584383400)

Become a citizen scientist and help researchers study severe weather by reporting precipitation types. Your observations contribute to improving weather detection algorithms and understanding precipitation patterns.

**Highlights:** Report precipitation types, Contribute to weather research, Track winter precipitation, Report hail size, Provide ground-truth data, View radar data comparison

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Useful for citizen science
- 👍 Helpful for NWS
- 👍 Fun to participate
- 🚀 Quick and easy reporting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App no longer works
- 🐛 Reports fail constantly
- 🐛 App freezes
- 🐛 Lagging when choosing report type
- 🐛 Useless for consumers

**Reported bugs**

- App not working after iPhone update
- App no longer works (iOS 26.2)
- App doesn't work well with new iPhones
- Reports fail constantly
- Big lagging when choosing type of report

**Requested features**

- Option to report 'snow' alone
- Add funnel and wall cloud reports
- Add wind report system (tornadic and storm)
- Add thunder/lightning reporting
- Add earthquake reporting


### GLOBE Observer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/globe-observer/id1090456751)

Contribute to real scientific research by making environmental observations. Document clouds, mosquito habitats, land cover, and trees using your mobile device. Your data supports scientists worldwide, including NASA and NOAA.

**Highlights:** Make environmental observations, Document clouds, Map mosquito habitats, Record land cover, Measure tree height, Contribute to scientific research

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for citizen science
- 💡 Educational and informative
- 👍 Easy to use (for some)
- 👍 Meaningful environmental measurements
- 👍 Fun and engaging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Login/update issues
- 🐛 Account creation problems
- 🐛 Observations not submitting
- 🐛 Poor UI/UX design

**Reported bugs**

- Checking for updates loop
- 504 error on account creation
- Fails after step 5 in account creation
- Robot verification loop
- App crashes on opening

**Requested features**

- Improve UI/UX design
- Add dark mode
- Better translation
- Notifications for satellite flyovers
- Integrate with WorldView or Google Earth


## Frequently asked questions

### Is mPing free?

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

### Is GLOBE Observer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, mPing or GLOBE Observer?

mPing is rated higher. mPing averages 4.0 out of 5 from 154 ratings, while GLOBE Observer averages 3.1 from 86 ratings.

### Do mPing or GLOBE Observer have ads?

Neither mPing nor GLOBE Observer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, mPing or GLOBE Observer?

mPing ships an update every 6 months, and GLOBE Observer every 2 months. Most recently, mPing was updated on October 9, 2026 and GLOBE Observer on October 8, 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.*