# ScoutKit vs Guidepole

The clearest difference is monetization model: ScoutKit at free against Guidepole's freemium. Guidepole's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 4 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ScoutKit sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Guidepole sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $29.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for ScoutKit against 5.0 for Guidepole. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

ScoutKit ships an update every 4 weeks, Guidepole every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ScoutKit | Guidepole |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scoutkit/id6742509896/reviews) | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guidepole-wildfire-smoke-map/id6796063881/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 70 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Scout Kit, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1798770289) | [Guidepole LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6790563876) |

## What reviewers say

### ScoutKit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scoutkit/id6742509896)

Plan your photography shoots with detailed weather and light condition forecasts. Monitor cloud cover, golden hour, tides, and more to ensure you're in the right place at the right time for the perfect shot.

**Highlights:** Multi-layer cloud analysis, Tide data for coastal shoots, Golden hour and blue hour timing, Location scouting and tagging, Animated weather map overlays

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ScoutKit Monthly Plan | $6.99 | per month |
| ScoutKit Annual Plan | $39.99 | per year |


### Guidepole

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guidepole-wildfire-smoke-map/id6796063881)

Track wildfire smoke and air quality with real-time maps and forecasts. Get alerts for approaching smoke and understand current air conditions to make informed decisions about your safety.

**Highlights:** Real-time smoke plume tracking, 24-hour smoke forecast, Live EPA AQI maps, 24-hour AQI forecast, Active wildfire information, Customizable safety alerts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Guidepole Fire Pro | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ScoutKit free?

ScoutKit 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, ScoutKit or Guidepole?

ScoutKit and Guidepole are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 4 ratings respectively.

### Do ScoutKit or Guidepole have ads?

Neither ScoutKit nor Guidepole shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ScoutKit or Guidepole?

ScoutKit ships an update every 4 weeks, and Guidepole every 11 days. Most recently, ScoutKit was updated on October 1, 2026 and Guidepole on October 25, 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.*