Comparison

Solar Weather vs BaroCast

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

Head to head
About

Solar Weather

Monitor real-time space weather, including magnetic storms and solar wind activity. Track official NOAA storm scales, view forecasts, and follow moon phases with customizable alerts and educational content.

Highlights
  • Real-time Kp-index monitoring
  • 24-hour and 27-day storm forecasts
  • Interactive moon phase calendar
  • Configurable push notifications
  • Real-time solar wind data
  • NOAA G/S/R storm scales
  • Siri and Spotlight integration
Features
Read full description

Solar Weather brings real-time space weather monitoring to your pocket. Track the planetary Kp-index, forecast magnetic storms, and follow moon phases — all in one beautifully designed app. SOLAR WIND See the solar wind that drives it all — speed, plus the all-important Bz and Bt magnetic field straight from NOAA's DSCOVR satellite, with a 24-hour Bz trend. A southward Bz is the earliest sign that a storm and aurora are building. NOAA STORM SCALES Follow the three official NOAA scales at a glance — geomagnetic storms (G), solar radiation storms (S) and radio blackouts (R) — with a 3-day outlook. Turn on alerts for radiation storms and radio blackouts, too. REAL-TIME KP-INDEX Monitor the current geomagnetic activity level on a clear 0–9 scale with color-coded status. See hourly charts for the last 24 hours and spot trends at a glance. STORM FORECASTS View 24-hour and 27-day geomagnetic forecasts sourced from NOAA. Know when the next magnetic storm is coming before it affects your health, electronics, or aurora visibility. MOON PHASE CALENDAR Browse an interactive monthly calendar showing the moon phase for every day. Tap any date to see the lunar day, illumination percentage, and days until the next full or new moon. SMART NOTIFICATIONS Choose exactly which alerts matter to you: • Magnetosphere excited (Kp 2–3) • Magnetic storm detected (Kp 4+) • Severe storm warning (Kp 7+) • Full moon — 2 days, 1 day, or day-of • New moon — 2 days, 1 day, or day-of EDUCATIONAL ARTICLES Learn what the magnetosphere is, how K-index works, how geomagnetic storms affect health, and why the aurora borealis happens. ASK SIRI Just ask Siri — “Is there a magnetic storm?”, “What's the moon phase?” or “What's the solar activity?” — for an instant answer. The same shortcuts work from Spotlight and the Shortcuts app. WIDGETS & LIVE ACTIVITY Keep the current Kp-index, aurora chance, and moon phase on your Home and Lock Screen. When a magnetic storm is underway, a Live Activity shows live readings on your Lock Screen and in StandBy. FEATURES • Real-time Kp-index with hourly bar charts • 24-hour and 27-day storm forecasts from NOAA • Interactive moon phase calendar • 11 configurable push notification types • Real-time solar wind (speed, Bz, Bt) with a 24-hour trend • Official NOAA G/S/R storm scales with a 3-day outlook • Offline moon calculations — works without internet • Dark theme designed for space weather • Available in 17 languages • Ask Siri & Spotlight — storms, moon phase, solar activity • Home Screen & Lock Screen widgets, plus a storm Live Activity • Apple Watch app • Optimized for iPhone and iPad • Built-in knowledge hub with an illustrated glossary • No ads. No tracking. Free forever.

About

BaroCast

Features
Read full description

BaroCast 是一款专为 Apple Watch 设计的气压趋势工具。 它会记录手表气压计采集的气压数据,以清晰图表展示最近 12 小时的变化。你可以查看当前气压和最近 3 小时气压升降幅度,并设置下降阈值达到后触发暴风雨预警。 支持后台刷新,以及当前气压和 3 小时变化幅度表盘小组件。后台采集时间由 watchOS 调度,建议开启“后台 App 刷新”并将小组件添加到表盘。 气压会受到海拔、电梯、上下楼和移动路线影响。趋势与预警仅供参考,不能替代官方天气预报或灾害预警。

Screenshots

Solar Weather4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Solar Weather at Free against BaroCast's $0.99. Solar Weather also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). BaroCast's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On ads, 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

Solar Weather is free to download; BaroCast costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Solar Weather ships an update every 2 months, BaroCast every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Solar Weather versus BaroCast: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSolar WeatherBaroCast
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating3.7 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews22.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrey Sapunov树伟 李

In-app purchases

None

Solar Weather

No in-app purchases

None

BaroCast

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Solar Weather free?
Solar Weather is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BaroCast free?
BaroCast costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Solar Weather or BaroCast have ads?
Neither Solar Weather nor BaroCast shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Solar Weather or BaroCast?
Solar Weather ships an update every 2 months, and BaroCast every 3 weeks. Most recently, Solar Weather was updated on November 10, 2026 and BaroCast on November 10, 2026.

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