Comparison

Flash Weather vs LightningMaps

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

Head to head
About

Flash Weather

Get precise, AI-powered weather alerts for lightning, heat risk, and radar. Receive instant notifications tailored to your location, with customizable settings for safety and planning outdoor activities. Includes hourly and 7-day forecasts.

Highlights
  • AI lightning prediction
  • Real-time heat risk metrics
  • Current and future radar maps
  • Smart push notifications
  • Hourly and 7-day forecasts
  • Customizable warning settings
Features
Currently charting
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FLASH predicts lightning before the first strike. With a patented algorithm infused with Deep Learning, you'll always know when to head inside, and when it's safe to head back out. Whether you are outdoors for work, training, sports, or recreation, FLASH is your edge against the elements. LIGHTNING PREDICTION LIKE NEVER BEFORE Our patented algorithm, infused with deep learning, forecasts where lightning will be before it hits. - Live Activities let you track the storm from your Lock Screen - FirstStrike tells you when the strike will be in your backyard - All Clear gives a simple yes/no answer to "Can we go back outside?" - 5 Hour Lightning Forecast gives extra time to decide on afternoon & evening plans CURRENT AND FUTURE RADAR High resolution current and future radar with lightning, watches and warnings, plus Flash Weather's FirstStrike, All Clear, and Lightning Probability forecast maps. - Up to the minute current radar and current lightning - 18-hour future radar in 15-minute increments, updating hourly - FirstStrike, All Clear, and Lightning Probability maps updating every 2 minutes SMART PUSH NOTIFICATIONS Get alerted when lightning is detected or forecast near you. - Forecast-based warnings before a strike - Customizable lightning proximity alerts for every saved location NFHS-STANDARD, EXCLUSIVE HEAT AND WBGT FORECASTING Plan your day with real-time WBGT readings, critical for outdoor safety. FLASH also forecasts heat stress 7 days out so you can avoid dangerous conditions before they start. - Live WBGT values for your exact location - Heat risk color coding for easy interpretation - 7-day forward-looking heat stress outlook HOURLY AND 7-DAY FORECASTS High and low temperatures, precipitation chance and amount, wind, dew point, cloud cover, and UV index. - Hourly and daily forecasts out 7 days - Graphical temperature, precipitation, and wind outlooks Developed by Flash Weather. Learn more at flashweather.ai Questions or suggestions: support@flashweather.ai Some features require a Flash Premium subscription. After a 7-day free trial, Premium is $3.99/mo or $39.99/yr. Privacy Policy: https://flashweather.ai/privacy/ Terms of Service: https://flashweather.ai/legal/ Auto-renewable subscriptions are governed by Apple's standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

LightningMaps

Pinpoint the exact location and distance of real-life lightning strikes using your phone's sensors. Simply tap when you see a flash and again when you hear thunder to instantly reveal the strike's coordinates. It's like having a personal lightning detector in your pocket.

Highlights
  • Pinpoint lightning strike locations
  • Measure distance to strikes
  • Intuitive tap-based interface
  • Real-time tracking
  • Safety guidelines included
Features
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Unleash Your Inner Thor with LightningMaps! With LightningMaps, you can harness the power of Thor himself. The app takes your current location as a reference point, enabling you to pinpoint real life lightning strikes with unmatched precision. Here's how it works: Step 1: When you spot that electrifying flash in the sky, tap your screen. Step 2: Aim your phone in the direction of the lightning, channeling your inner god of thunder and Tap again when the thunder roars. LightningMaps works its magic, revealing the lightning's exact location in an instant.  It's like carrying your very own lightning rod right in your pocket! You see the lightning location and the distance from you. So, feel like Thor and conquer the storm with LightningMasp. Lightning tracking has never been this electrifying! Note: LightningMaps prioritizes safety. Always adhere to safety guidelines when observing thunderstorms.

Screenshots

Flash Weather4 screens
LightningMaps2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: LightningMaps at 5.0 against Flash Weather's 4.4. LightningMaps also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). Flash Weather's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (103 vs 1). On price, ads, 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. Flash Weather sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. LightningMaps asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LightningMaps holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Flash Weather has 103 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flash Weather ships an update fortnightly, LightningMaps every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Flash Weather versus LightningMaps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlash WeatherLightningMaps
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (103 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings103 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#91 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size72 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFlash Scientific TechnologyAndrii Rudenko

Customer experience

Flash Weather

All ratings103 ratings
Positive84.5%
Neutral3.9%
Negative11.7%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive64.6%
Neutral6.3%
Negative29.2%

LightningMaps

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Flash Weather

Subscriptions2
  • Flash Premium Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Flash Premium Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
None

LightningMaps

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Flash Weather free?
Flash Weather is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LightningMaps free?
LightningMaps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Flash Weather or LightningMaps?
LightningMaps is rated higher. Flash Weather averages 4.4 out of 5 from 103 ratings, while LightningMaps averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Flash Weather or LightningMaps have ads?
Neither Flash Weather nor LightningMaps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Flash Weather or LightningMaps?
Flash Weather ships an update fortnightly, and LightningMaps every 8 months. Most recently, Flash Weather was updated on September 24, 2026 and LightningMaps on September 2, 2026.

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