Comparison

Illinois Storm Chasers vs Guidepole

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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/

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Illinois Storm Chasers4 screens
Guidepole4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Illinois Storm Chasers versus Guidepole: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIllinois Storm ChasersGuidepole
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (22 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings22 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size74 MB89 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperIllinois Storm Chasers, LLCGuidepole LLC

Customer experience

Illinois Storm Chasers

All ratings17 ratings
Positive88.2%
Neutral5.9%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative8.3%

Guidepole

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Illinois Storm Chasers

Subscriptions2
  • 1 Month Ad Removal$0.991 Month
  • 1 Year Ad Removal7 Days trial$4.991 Year
2 purchases

Guidepole

Subscriptions2
  • Guidepole Fire Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Guidepole Fire Pro7 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Illinois Storm Chasers free?
Illinois Storm Chasers is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Guidepole free?
Guidepole is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Illinois Storm Chasers or Guidepole?
Guidepole is rated higher. Illinois Storm Chasers averages 4.0 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Guidepole averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Illinois Storm Chasers or Guidepole have ads?
Illinois Storm Chasers shows ads; Guidepole does not.
Which is updated more often, Illinois Storm Chasers or Guidepole?
Illinois Storm Chasers ships an update every 3 months, and Guidepole weekly. Most recently, Illinois Storm Chasers was updated on November 3, 2026 and Guidepole on November 12, 2026.

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