Comparison

AvWx vs Orion Maps

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

Head to head
About

AvWx

Provides pilots and dispatchers with fast, reliable aviation weather information. It integrates data from official sources into an intuitive interface for operational decision-making, offering features like METAR/TAF analysis and advisory highlights.

Highlights
  • METAR & TAF runway wind components
  • FAA Advisories integration
  • Unlimited airport tracking (Pro)
  • Extended Apple Weather forecasts (Pro)
  • Sun & moon events visualization (Pro)
  • Alternate requirements highlighting (Pro)
  • Offline-aware operation
Features
Read full description

Situational awareness for pilots and dispatchers — every airport you care about, on one screen. AvWx brings NOAA's forecasts and radar, AviationWeather.gov, FAA advisories and NOTAMs, Digital ATIS, NWS alerts and Apple Weather into one picture, so you can read a whole day of flying without opening five apps. TAF TIMELINE Every TAF drawn on one time axis: TEMPO and PROB groups in their own band, each hour's worst ceiling and visibility with its flight category, runway wind components, the current METAR overlaid, and NOAA's hourly forecast beneath it. NOAA METEOGRAM One day, hour by hour: clouds by altitude to 45,000 ft, the freezing level, precipitation and snowfall by type, winds aloft and the flight category — each reading labeled with the NOAA model behind it. MAPS AND RADAR NOAA's newest radar scans looped over the last hour, storm cells with motion arrows, lightning within minutes of the flash, satellite clouds, fronts, NWS alert regions, worldwide forecast layers, airspace, and satellite imagery down to the runway. ALSO • Ceiling and visibility every 15 minutes for six hours in the US, and out to a week worldwide • NOTAMs worldwide, straight from the FAA's NOTAM Management Service — closed runways and approach aids out of service marked on the runway table and METAR tiles, closures drawn on the satellite view • Traffic flow and the runways in use, handy at non-towered fields • SIGMETs, CWAs and NWS alerts matched to your airport's position, not just its region • Decoded D-ATIS, METAR tiles, favored runways, density altitude, sun and moon • Saved places beyond airports — home, layovers, anywhere — with full forecasts FREE: up to five airports, METAR and TAF, the TAF timeline, NOTAMs, traffic flow and FAA advisories. PREMIUM: unlimited airports, the maps and radar, the NOAA meteogram and charts, Apple Weather's tiles and charts, and no ads. One-week free trial. An in-app Guide and Legend explain every bar and color. AvWx is a professional supplement, not a replacement for certified flight-planning tools. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://avwxllc.github.io/privacy-policy.md

About

Orion Maps

Navigate your route while viewing live weather radar overlays directly on your driving map. Get turn-by-turn directions with real-time rerouting and voice guidance. Explore weather conditions along your path with regional and full weather overviews.

Highlights
  • Turn-by-turn routing
  • Real-time rerouting
  • Live weather radar overlay
  • Ground radar on driving map
  • Regional radar inset
  • Full weather overview
  • Voice guidance
Features
Read full description

ORION Maps requires an auto-renewable subscription for full access. Eligible new subscribers in the United States receive a 7-day free trial, then $1.99/month unless canceled. Eligibility is determined by Apple. Existing active subscribers retain access and can use Restore Purchases. ORION Maps combines turn-by-turn navigation with live NEXRAD weather radar built directly into your drive. FEATURES • Turn-by-turn routing with real-time rerouting • Free Drive mode — see live weather and radar wherever you're headed, no destination required • Ground radar overlay directly on the driving map • Regional radar inset — a compact live view of the wider weather picture around you • Full Weather Overview — expand for a complete look at conditions along your route • Automatic local NEXRAD station selection as you travel, with stable handoff near station boundaries — no flickering between stations • Voice guidance ORION Maps is built for drivers who want to see the weather, not just hear about it — radar and routing in one connected view. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

AvWx4 screens
Orion Maps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: AvWx at 100% against Orion Maps's 17%. AvWx also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.4) and monetization model (freemium vs subscription). Orion Maps's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases 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. AvWx sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Orion Maps sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AvWx holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of AvWx's written reviews are positive against 17% of Orion Maps's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AvWx ships an update every 2 weeks, Orion Maps every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
AvWx versus Orion Maps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAvWxOrion Maps
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (8 ratings) — better2.4 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better16.7% of reviews
Number of ratings8 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.215.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size115 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAvWx, LLCPhillip Harwood

Customer experience

AvWx

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Orion Maps

All ratings7 ratings
Positive28.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative57.1%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

AvWx

Subscriptions2
  • All Access7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • All Access7 Days trial$9.991 Year
1 purchases

Orion Maps

Subscriptions1
  • ORION Maps Full Access7 Days trial$1.991 Month

Questions

Is AvWx free?
AvWx is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Orion Maps free?
Orion Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AvWx or Orion Maps?
AvWx is rated higher. AvWx averages 4.5 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Orion Maps averages 2.4 from 7 ratings.
Do AvWx or Orion Maps have ads?
AvWx shows ads; Orion Maps does not.
Which is updated more often, AvWx or Orion Maps?
AvWx ships an update every 2 weeks, and Orion Maps every 3 days. Most recently, AvWx was updated on October 25, 2026 and Orion Maps on October 25, 2026.

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