# WillyWeather vs Heliograph

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Heliograph at none against WillyWeather's 2. Heliograph also leads on ads (none vs shown). WillyWeather's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months) and chart position (#148 vs unranked). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. WillyWeather sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.00 per month. Heliograph asks for nothing beyond the download.

WillyWeather ships an update monthly, Heliograph every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WillyWeather | Heliograph |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (23K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/willyweather/id592978502/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **23K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 72.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#148** | — |
| Size | 141 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, Apple TV, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [WillyWeather (AU) Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/592978505) | [Aphelion Engineering Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896778280) |

## What reviewers say

### WillyWeather

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/willyweather/id592978502)

**Currently charting:** #148 Top Grossing · Weather, #182 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

This app provides highly localized weather forecasts, including detailed information on wind, rain, tides, and UV index. It processes and refines global weather data to offer precise predictions for thousands of specific locations across the US. Users can access interactive radar, satellite views, and real-time observational data.

**Highlights:** Hyper-local weather forecasts, Interactive rainfall radar, Detailed tide and swell data, Global wind forecast model, Hourly UV index forecasts, Real-time observational data, NOAA warnings

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WillyWeather+ (Monthly) | $4.00 | per month |
| WillyWeather+ (Yearly) | $36.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate and reliable weather data
- 👍 Comprehensive set of features (tides, wind, UV index, etc.)
- 🌈 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💰 Good value for money (ad-free version)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🗺️ Inaccurate location detection and weather data for some areas
- 🕰️ Slow to load and update information
- 🔌 Apple Watch app issues (crashes, lack of complications)

**Reported bugs**

- Tide data inaccuracies in some locations
- Inconsistent rain/wind forecast information
- Inability to switch between saved locations easily

**Requested features**

- Home screen widgets
- Ability to customize main screen layout
- Live lightning map integration
- More granular control over notifications


### Heliograph

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heliograph/id6783219208)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WillyWeather free?

WillyWeather is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Heliograph free?

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

### Do WillyWeather or Heliograph have ads?

WillyWeather shows ads; Heliograph does not.

### Which is updated more often, WillyWeather or Heliograph?

WillyWeather ships an update monthly, and Heliograph every 2 months. Most recently, WillyWeather was updated on November 9, 2026 and Heliograph on October 31, 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.*