Comparison

Hail Sentinel 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

Hail Sentinel

This app provides precise hail detection and alerts using a proprietary machine-learning model. It offers real-time notifications, detailed storm analysis, and historical data, with premium features for enhanced warnings and reporting.

Highlights
  • Real-time hail alerts
  • Live storm radar
  • Neighborhood hail history
  • After-the-Storm Reports
  • 7-day hail outlook
  • Live GPS alerts
  • Apple Watch app and widgets
Features
Read full description

Hail Sentinel: hail detection, alerts, and analysis, built on Anvil, our own machine-learning model. Most weather apps warn a county at a time, from generic weather data. We run Anvil over dual-polarization radar every two minutes. Built to find hail, not weather in general: when hail is closing in, where the storm is on live radar, and a record of what fell once it passed. WHAT YOU GET FOR FREE - Real-time push the moment hail is closing in on your address - Every severe warning, at full precision. Safety alerts are never behind a paywall - Live storm radar, colored by what's actually falling - Today's and tomorrow's hail outlook - One saved location - Neighborhood hail history, refreshed each season Free and Premium run on the same hail detection. Premium doesn't make detection better. It gives you more warning, more places, more tools. PREMIUM - Earlier heads-up. Watches hours ahead, and a nudge as a storm turns your way. Varies by storm. - After-the-Storm Reports. A timestamped record of peak hail size, timing and radar evidence, formatted for an insurance conversation - The full 7-day hail outlook instead of 2 days - Up to 4 saved locations, each with its own alerts, forecast and history - Live GPS alerts. They follow you as you drive, not a fixed address - Playbooks. Automatic actions when hail threatens: an instant push, an optional webhook for your smart home, and a timestamped evidence record - SMS and email backup of the same alerts - Neighborhood hail history in real time WATCH, WIDGETS AND CARPLAY - Apple Watch app and complications - Home Screen widgets: today's hail chance, 7-day outlook, nearby storm cells - Lock Screen widgets (iOS 16+) - CarPlay with active alerts and Live GPS status BUILT ON OUR OWN HAIL SCIENCE We built our own detector. Anvil is a machine-learning model trained on the dual-pol radar signature of hail itself, fusing radar, satellite, verified ground reports and forecast models. It weighs 83 signals per prediction and re-scores every storm nationwide on a 1 km grid every two minutes. Zero clear-day and zero winter false alarms in our test battery. Not a MESH/MRMS passthrough. No system catches every stone. We aim to be the most accurate and tell you plainly what we can and can't see. PRIVACY Your hail reports train places, not people. They improve detection for areas, never to profile you. We don't sell your data. SUBSCRIPTION Premium auto-renews at $6.99/month or $49.99/year, with a 7-day free trial for eligible new subscribers. Nov 1 – Feb 28 each year, an off-season annual plan is $34.99/year, locked while you stay subscribed. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the current period ends, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours of that. Manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew in your Apple ID Account Settings. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Terms of Use: https://hailsentinel.com/legal/terms Privacy Policy: https://hailsentinel.com/legal/privacy IMPORTANT Hail Sentinel supplements but does not replace official National Weather Service warnings. Always follow local emergency guidance. Alert delivery is not guaranteed. It depends on radar coverage, data feeds, connectivity and your device settings. A quiet app does not mean a quiet sky, so keep a second way to receive official warnings. After-the-Storm Reports record hail conditions at your address. They do not assess or certify property damage. That is your adjuster's determination. Hail Sentinel is not an insurance product. Hail Sentinel is available only in the contiguous United States, and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Weather Service, NOAA, or any government agency.

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

Hail Sentinel4 screens
Orion Maps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hail Sentinel at 100% against Orion Maps's 17%. Hail Sentinel also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.4) and monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). Orion Maps's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days). 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. Hail Sentinel sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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

Hail Sentinel holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Hail Sentinel's written reviews are positive against 17% of Orion Maps's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hail Sentinel ships an update every 9 days, Orion Maps every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Hail Sentinel versus Orion Maps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHail SentinelOrion Maps
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (6 ratings) — better2.4 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better16.7% of reviews
Number of ratings67 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIcarus, Inc.Phillip Harwood

Customer experience

Hail Sentinel

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
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

4 purchases

Hail Sentinel

Subscriptions4
  • Founder — Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Premium — Monthly7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Founder — Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Premium — Annual7 Days trial$49.991 Year
1 purchases

Orion Maps

Subscriptions1
  • ORION Maps Full Access7 Days trial$1.991 Month

Questions

Is Hail Sentinel free?
Hail Sentinel 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, Hail Sentinel or Orion Maps?
Hail Sentinel is rated higher. Hail Sentinel averages 5.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Orion Maps averages 2.4 from 7 ratings.
Do Hail Sentinel or Orion Maps have ads?
Hail Sentinel shows ads; Orion Maps does not.
Which is updated more often, Hail Sentinel or Orion Maps?
Hail Sentinel ships an update every 9 days, and Orion Maps every 3 days. Most recently, Hail Sentinel was updated on October 30, 2026 and Orion Maps on October 31, 2026.

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