Illinois Storm Chasers vs Guidepole
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Illinois Storm Chasers
Get hyper-local weather updates with real-time conditions and minute-by-minute precipitation forecasts. Access interactive NOAA radar and receive alerts for severe weather discussions and maps. Stay informed about your local forecast for the next 48 hours and 7 days.
- Minute-by-minute precipitation forecasts
- 48-hour hourly forecasts
- 7-day daily forecasts
- Interactive NOAA NEXRAD radar
- Customizable radar color schemes and layers
- Severe weather alerts and forecast discussions
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Live weather conditions from your neighborhood weather station, precipitation forecasts down to the minute. Hourly forecast out to 48 hours, and 7 days of detailed daily and nightly forecasts. Radar is interactive, NOAA NEXRAD data with industry-leading update times for a consumer weather app. Select your favorable radar color scheme and desired layers. Be notified when Illinois Storm Chasers issues a new forecast discussion and map(s) for everything from severe thunderstorms to winter weather! Download today! EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Guidepole
Track active wildfires and monitor smoke plumes with real-time air quality data. Get 24-hour forecasts for smoke and AQI, and receive alerts for fires and poor air conditions near saved locations.
- Live wildfire tracking
- Real-time smoke plumes
- 24-hour smoke forecast
- Air quality index (AQI) monitoring
- 24-hour AQI forecast
- Customizable alerts
- Built-in assistant for queries
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Wildfire smoke doesn't stay where the fire is. Guidepole Fire is a live wildfire map that shows every fire, the smoke overhead and the air you're actually breathing, right now and for the next 24 hours. So you know whether to go outside, close the windows or get out of town. EVERY WILDFIRE, LIVE • Active wildfires across the US and Canada: size, containment, cause and crews, updated continuously. • Official fire perimeters from NIFC, drawn on a 3D map of the terrain. • Satellite hot spots from NASA FIRMS, so new heat shows up even before a fire has a name. • Wind, humidity, radar and red flag warnings, so you can see which way a fire may run. SMOKE AND AIR QUALITY • The live smoke plume overhead from NOAA satellites. • A 24-hour smoke forecast you can scrub hour by hour. • Real-time air quality (AQI) from EPA AirNow and PurpleAir sensors, with a 24-hour AQI forecast. ANSWERS, NOT JUST DATA • "Where's this smoke coming from?" Tap any spot and Guidepole Fire traces it to the upwind fire. • "Is my air safe right now?" The current AQI in plain words, and what it means for you. • "When will it clear?" A read on how wind and weather will move the smoke out. • Or just ask Gary, the built-in assistant, about the fires, smoke and air near any place. FREE FIRE AND SMOKE ALERTS Save home, the cabin or anywhere you care about. Get a heads-up when a new fire starts nearby, when satellite heat shows up, when a red flag warning is issued, or when smoke and bad air reach your places. The core safety alerts are always free. FIRE PRO (OPTIONAL) Unlock the full forecast and deeper detail with Fire Pro, monthly or annual. Start with a free trial and cancel anytime. Built on public data from NIFC, NASA FIRMS, NOAA HMS and HRRR, EPA AirNow, PurpleAir and the National Weather Service. Guidepole Fire is an information tool, not an emergency service. It does not replace evacuation orders or alerts from local authorities, 911, InciWeb, AirNow or the National Weather Service. Always follow official guidance. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://guidepole.com/legal/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Guidepole at 5.0 against Illinois Storm Chasers's 4.0. Guidepole also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). Illinois Storm Chasers's advantage is ratings volume (22 vs 4) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Illinois Storm Chasers sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Guidepole sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Guidepole holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Illinois Storm Chasers has 22 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Illinois Storm Chasers's written reviews are positive against 100% of Guidepole's.
Illinois Storm Chasers ships an update every 3 months, Guidepole weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Illinois Storm Chasers | Guidepole |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (22 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 22 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 74 MB | 89 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Illinois Storm Chasers, LLC | Guidepole LLC |
Customer experience
Illinois Storm Chasers
Guidepole
In-app purchases
Illinois Storm Chasers
- 1 Month Ad Removal$0.991 Month
- 1 Year Ad Removal7 Days trial$4.991 Year
Guidepole
- Guidepole Fire Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Guidepole Fire Pro7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Questions
Is Illinois Storm Chasers free?
Is Guidepole free?
Which has better reviews, Illinois Storm Chasers or Guidepole?
Do Illinois Storm Chasers or Guidepole have ads?
Which is updated more often, Illinois Storm Chasers or Guidepole?
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