Comparison

Flash Weather vs Element

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

Head to head
About

Flash Weather

This app uses advanced AI to predict lightning strikes before they happen, offering real-time alerts and forecasts for outdoor safety. It also provides detailed hourly and 7-day weather outlooks, including temperature, precipitation, and heat stress information.

Highlights
  • AI-driven lightning prediction
  • Live lightning strike alerts
  • 5-hour lightning forecast
  • 18-hour future radar
  • Heat and WBGT forecasting
  • 7-day hourly and daily forecasts
  • Customizable proximity alerts
Features
Read full description

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

Element

Experience weather like never before with a visually powerful and simple forecast. This app provides hyper-local, high-definition radar, detailed 24-hour and 7-day predictions, and customizable alerts for everything from light rain to severe storms and wildfires. Stay confidently ahead of any weather headed your way.

Highlights
  • High-definition radar with 24-hour storm predictions
  • Hyper-local 24-hour and 7-day forecasts
  • AI-powered hurricane path tracking
  • Customizable weather alerts
  • Selectable forecast elements (temperature, air quality, etc.)
  • Lock and Home Screen widgets
  • Live wildfire tracking and smoke visualization
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Introducing Element – a new way to experience the forecast. Built around what you care about, not what an app decides to show you. From light rain to severe storms, see the weather in a visual experience you design yourself. Element's proprietary weather engine draws from multiple trusted sources – NOAA, National Weather Service, and more – delivering hyper-local, up-to-the-minute high-definition radar and forecasts you can rely on. Pick your data. Build your layout. Track only what matters to you – and stay confidently ahead of anything headed your way. CUSTOMIZABLE FORECASTS Build your forecast around what matters to you. Choose from simple glanceable views to deep, layered dashboards – infinite combinations across layouts, data types, and detail levels. No clutter, no compromise. - Temperature & Feels Like - Precipitation Chance & Amount - Air Quality - Wind Speed & Gusts - UV Index - Pressure - Sunrise & Sunset Times - Moon Phases - Humidity & Dew Point - Cloud Cover - Visibility - Hurricanes & Tropical Systems - Wildfires & Smoke - Tides RADAR IN HIGH DEFINITION Track weather across a full range of layers – precipitation, wind, air quality, humidity, pressure, and more – in high-definition radar that moves as naturally as the elements themselves. Up to 24-hour storm predictions, so you always know what's coming and when. HYPER-LOCAL, ALL-WEATHER FORECASTS Element's advanced forecast engine delivers precise forecasts for your exact location. Track daily conditions and severe weather with detailed 24-hour and 7-day predictions – from your morning commute to approaching hurricanes – with unmatched accuracy. SEVERE WEATHER ALERTS From light rain to Category 5 hurricanes, Element keeps you informed with timely, precise alerts powered by trusted sources – so you only get the updates that matter, when they matter most. LOCK & HOME SCREEN WIDGETS Glanceable, live weather where you need it most. Element's Lock and Home Screen widgets deliver real-time updates right on your iPhone – so you're always prepared at a glance. WILDFIRE & SMOKE TRACKING See wildfires live on the map. Element layers active fire zones and drifting smoke so you get a real-time view of spread and air quality impact. Track multiple fires and set critical alerts as conditions change. LIVE PRECIPITATION Follow precipitation without opening the app. See real-time rain and snow updates on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island – showing exactly when precipitation will start, ease, or stop, minute by minute. Element transforms weather into a visual experience as natural as checking the sky – whether you're planning your day, scheduling adventures, or exploring new places. Element is free to download. Premium features require a subscription or one-time purchase. Subscriptions include a free seven-day trial and can be cancelled anytime via Apple Support. Terms of Service: https://www.elementweather.com/tos Privacy Policy: https://www.elementweather.com/privacy

Screenshots

Flash Weather4 screens
Element4 screens

Verdict

The call

Flash Weather and Element both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 65% of Flash Weather's written reviews are positive against 24% of Element's. Flash Weather also leads on ads (none vs shown) and device support (3 vs 1). Element's advantage is ratings volume (1.4K vs 105). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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 and Element sells 7 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Flash Weather against 4.5 for Element. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Element has 1.4K ratings behind it against 105, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Flash Weather's written reviews are positive against 24% of Element's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flash Weather ships an update fortnightly, Element every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 12, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Flash Weather versus Element: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlash WeatherElement
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (105 ratings)4.5 (1.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.6% of reviews — better24.5% of reviews
Number of ratings1051.4K — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#79 — better#96
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.2
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB482 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFlash Scientific TechnologyETCETERA WEATHER, LLC

Customer experience

Flash Weather

All ratings105 ratings
Positive83.8%
Neutral3.8%
Negative12.4%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive64.6%
Neutral6.3%
Negative29.2%

Element

All ratings1,380 ratings
Positive89.6%
Neutral3.6%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews98 reviews
Positive24.5%
Neutral16.3%
Negative59.2%

User reviews

Flash Weather

From 105 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Incredible accuracy
  • ⚡️ Reliable lightning alerts
  • 🐶 Useful for pet safety
  • 👍 Easy to save multiple locations
  • 🐦 Unique bird identification feature (European Starling)

Room to improve

  • 💸 Too many features locked behind premium
  • 🚫 Lightning alerts now premium
  • 📉 Metrics (humidity, UV) not appearing
  • ⏳ App doesn't always load quickly or at all
  • 👎 Subscription required for basic features (multiple locations)

Element

From 1.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate weather forecasts
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive design
  • 💡 Innovative radar visualization
  • 🔒 Customizable location tracking

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription pricing
  • 🐛 Connectivity issues
  • 🔍 Limited data coverage
  • 🤔 Inconsistent performance

Bugs and requests

Flash Weather

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • App doesn't always load quickly or at all
  • Lightning feature won't load during storms
  • Metrics (humidity, UV) never appear
  • Radar not working
  • Radar and lightning maps not working
Show 6 more
  • Location shows incorrect state
  • App crashes every time it's opened
  • App won't open all the way then closes
  • Lightning distance less precise after upgrade
  • No alerts during severe thunderstorms
  • Account creation fails

Requested features

9 requests
  • Add notifications for advisories/warnings
  • Include a lightning counter with trend rate
  • Show UV rating, rain possibility, air quality in radar section
  • Make more features available without premium
  • Fix app crashing issues
Show 4 more
  • Improve location accuracy
  • Ensure radar and lightning maps are consistently working
  • Provide a way to sign up for premium on all devices
  • Offer ads instead of premium for basic features

Element

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Failing to connect to servers
  • Incorrect location data
  • Delayed delivery of weather updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • Expand coverage to more countries
  • Add customizable weather alerts
  • Improve route-based forecasting
  • Introduce a more affordable pricing model

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Flash Weather

Subscriptions2
  • Flash Premium Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Flash Premium Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
7 purchases

Element

Subscriptions7
  • Monthly subscription$4.991 Month
  • Monthly subscription7 Days trial4 variants$4.991 Month
  • Monthly subscription7 Days trial$5.001 Month
Show 4 more
  • Element Family Premium7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Yearly subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Yearly subscription7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Yearly subscription7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Flash Weather free?
Flash Weather is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Element free?
Element is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Flash Weather or Element?
Element is rated higher. Flash Weather averages 4.4 out of 5 from 105 ratings, while Element averages 4.5 from 1.4K ratings.
Do Flash Weather or Element have ads?
Element shows ads; Flash Weather does not.
Which is updated more often, Flash Weather or Element?
Flash Weather ships an update fortnightly, and Element every 2 weeks. Most recently, Flash Weather was updated on November 12, 2026 and Element on November 12, 2026.
Which is more popular, Flash Weather or Element?
Flash Weather currently peaks at #79 in the App Store charts, and Element at #96. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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