Comparison

Nullschool vs Pacific Watch

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

Head to head
About

Nullschool

Visualize global weather, ocean, and pollution data on an interactive map. Explore current conditions, forecasts up to 5 days, and historical data. Discover atmospheric phenomena like hurricanes, jet streams, and pollution spread.

Highlights
  • Interactive animated global map
  • Wind, ocean, and pollution layers
  • Current conditions and 5-day forecasts
  • Historical data access
  • Aurora and wildfire tracking
  • Subscription for extra features
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The official app of the popular website earth.nullschool.net! Explore wind, weather, ocean, and pollution conditions, as forecast by supercomputers, on an interactive animated map. Numerous features are available: - Current conditions, forecasts up to 5 days (depending on the data source), and historical data going back many years - Physical layers: wind, temperature, relative humidity, wet bulb temperature, precipitation, MSLP, CAPE, and more - Chemistry and aerosol layers: PM 2.5, CO2, sulfate, and other pollutants - Ocean layers: waves, currents, swells, sea surface temps, coral bleaching - Aurora - Wildfires Explore Earth's atmosphere and oceans wherever your curiosity takes you: - Watch how hurricanes and typhoons form and pull heat from the ocean - See the jet stream and polar vortex - Follow the Kuroshio, Alguhas, and Gulf Stream - Learn how pollution spreads across the globe This app offers paid subscriptions so you can help Nullschool keep the lights on and develop new features. Plus, you get some neat extras: - Curate a gallery of favorites - Save and share screenshots - Generate QR codes for easy linking Who knows what you're going to find?

About

Pacific Watch

This app provides comprehensive situational awareness for Hawaii, aggregating over 50 official data sources. It offers real-time weather, surf conditions, emergency alerts, and infrastructure updates for residents and visitors.

Highlights
  • Weather and forecast data
  • Surf and ocean conditions
  • Real-time emergency alerts
  • Volcano and earthquake tracking
  • Power outage and traffic maps
  • Emergency preparedness guides
Features
Read full description

Pacific Watch is Hawaii's all-in-one situational awareness app. Built specifically for Hawaii residents and visitors, it aggregates 50+ official data sources into one beautifully simple dashboard so you always know what's happening across the islands. FEATURES Weather & Forecast • Current conditions from local weather stations • Hourly and 7-day forecasts from the National Weather Service • Rainfall, wind, humidity, and UV index • Live weather cameras at beaches, mountains, and city views Surf & Ocean • Surf forecasts by island and shore • Tide predictions from NOAA • Buoy observations and wave heights • High surf advisories and warnings Emergency Alerts • Real-time push notifications for tsunami warnings, hurricane alerts, flood watches, and severe weather • NWS alerts automatically filtered for your island • Customize which alerts you want to receive • Optional home address for personalized flood zone alerts Volcanoes & Earthquakes • Live volcano cameras from USGS • Kilauea eruption tracking • Recent earthquakes with magnitude and location • Tsunami zone maps Infrastructure • Hawaiian Electric and KIUC power outage maps • Live traffic cameras on major highways • Water quality and beach advisories • Air quality (AQI) and vog monitoring Emergency Preparedness • 14-day emergency supply checklist • Evacuation shelter locations • Flood hazard zones • Hurricane preparedness guides • Multi-language handbooks (English, Ilocano, Korean, Vietnamese, Cantonese) CUSTOMIZATION • Choose your island for location-specific alerts • Customize your dashboard with drag-and-drop cards • Light and dark themes • Adjustable font size for accessibility BUILT FOR HAWAII Pacific Watch is a free, independent app built by a local Hawaii developer. No ads. No data selling. Just the information you need to stay safe and informed across O'ahu, Maui, Hawai'i Island, Kaua'i, Moloka'i, and Lana'i. Data sources include: National Weather Service, USGS, NOAA, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Hawaiian Electric, KIUC, Hawaii DOT, AirNow, and more. Support the app: If Pacific Watch helps keep you and your ohana safe, consider supporting development at pacificwatch.app. Mahalo!

Screenshots

Nullschool4 screens
Pacific Watch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pacific Watch at none against Nullschool's 3. Nullschool's advantage is chart position (#115 vs unranked) and ratings volume (40 vs 5). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Nullschool sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Pacific Watch asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Nullschool against 5.0 for Pacific Watch. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nullschool has 40 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nullschool ships an update monthly, Pacific Watch every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Nullschool versus Pacific Watch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNullschoolPacific Watch
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (40 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings40 — better5
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
Best chart rank#115 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNullschool Technologies Inc.David Do

Customer experience

Nullschool

All ratings27 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Pacific Watch

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Nullschool

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Plan$2.991 Month
  • Annual Plan$29.991 Year
  • Friends of Nullschool$49.991 Year
None

Pacific Watch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Nullschool free?
Nullschool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pacific Watch free?
Pacific Watch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Nullschool or Pacific Watch?
Nullschool and Pacific Watch are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 40 and 5 ratings respectively.
Do Nullschool or Pacific Watch have ads?
Neither Nullschool nor Pacific Watch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Nullschool or Pacific Watch?
Nullschool ships an update monthly, and Pacific Watch every 3 weeks. Most recently, Nullschool was updated on October 25, 2026 and Pacific Watch on October 24, 2026.

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