Heat Compass vs Before It Strikes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Heat Compass
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Heat Compass turns the official military heat-flag system into a personal heat-safety coach. It computes WBGT (wet bulb globe temperature), the standard used by the U.S. Marine Corps and occupational safety programs, from live weather for your location, then tells you plainly what the conditions mean and what to do about them. KNOW THE FLAG - Live WBGT and the five-color heat flag (White, Green, Yellow, Red, Black) for where you are right now - Work-rest guidance for each flag: how long to work, how long to cool down - 7-day forecast with heat flags, so you can plan the week - Nearby weather stations, and transparency about which station your reading came from STAY AHEAD OF DEHYDRATION - A daily water goal derived from the heat, your activity level, and optionally your body weight - One-tap drink logging with reminders that adapt to the heat flag - An "I'm outside" mode that tightens reminders while you are exposed - Track drinks for family members or a work crew with household tagging - Guidance is capped at safe intake rates, because drinking too much is also dangerous GET WARNED EARLY - Proactive heat-risk alerts: the app periodically checks conditions and warns you when the flag climbs, even when the app is closed - A pavement heat check that estimates surface temperature, useful for dog owners and hot-surface work PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account and no sign-in. Your hydration log, profile, and settings stay on your device. Your location is used to fetch weather for where you are and is not stored on our servers. No ads, no tracking, free. A NOTE ON SCOPE Heat Compass provides general heat-safety guidance based on published heat-stress doctrine. It is an aid for planning, not a medical device, and it does not replace occupational safety programs, OSHA requirements, or your own judgment.
Before It Strikes
This app provides real-time severe weather alerts and lightning prediction. It offers a 30-minute safety countdown after lightning strikes and displays high-resolution 3D radar. Receive instant National Weather Service warnings for any saved location.
- Lightning safety countdown
- Official NWS alerts
- Hi-res 3D radar
- Storm Center overview
- Heads-up storm notifications
- Apple Watch integration
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Severe weather, before it happens. You shouldn't find out about a storm when the first bolt hits. Before It Strikes watches the sky for you — pushing official National Weather Service warnings the instant they're issued, tracking storms headed your way, and counting down exactly when it's safe to go back outside. Free. Nationwide. Built for anyone who has to make the call to head inside. -Lightning safety countdown When lightning strikes within 10 miles, a 30-minute timer starts — and resets with every nearby strike, just like the 30-30 rule the pros use. When it reaches zero, you're clear. It lives right on your Lock Screen and Apple Watch. -Official NWS alerts, instantly Tornado, severe thunderstorm, and flash-flood warnings straight from the National Weather Service — for home, the lake house, the kids' school, anywhere you save. With a live expiration countdown, plain-English guidance, and every affected county. - Hi-res 3D radar Crisp, smooth radar you can tilt into 3D and zoom to your own street. 150+ live radar sites, nationwide — pan to any storm in the country. - Storm Center One screen that reads the sky: a 1–5 threat level, live lightning rate, the nearest strike, the next-6-hour outlook, and local storm reports as they land. - See it coming A heads-up when a storm is overhead or heading your way — with tornado, wind, and hail threats in plain words, before the first bolt. - On your wrist The all-clear countdown mirrors to your Apple Watch as a glowing ring — a glance tells you whether it's safe to go back out. - Follows you Save every place you care about, or let it track wherever you are. Loud when it counts, silent when it doesn't. No subscription. No paywall on safety. Every feature, free. A note on safety Official National Weather Service warnings are always the source of truth. Some features — such as lightning prediction and storm scoring — are experimental situational awareness and should never be used in place of official warnings or lightning-safety guidance. When in doubt, seek shelter.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: Before It Strikes at 3 against Heat Compass's 1. On price, update cadence, ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Heat Compass | Before It Strikes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 7 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 37 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | craig merry | Cody Negri |
In-app purchases
Heat Compass
No in-app purchases
Before It Strikes
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Heat Compass free?
Is Before It Strikes free?
Do Heat Compass or Before It Strikes have ads?
Which is updated more often, Heat Compass or Before It Strikes?
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