Comparison

Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath vs Aurora Scanner

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

Head to head
About

Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath

Receive instant alerts for tornado warnings and severe weather. Access detailed tornado data, interactive maps with various layers, and a historical archive. Learn about weather safety and understand alerts with educational guides.

Highlights
  • Instant tornado warning alerts
  • Interactive maps with radar and layers
  • Detailed tornado data and historical archive
  • Severe weather alerts (watches, thunderstorms)
  • Educational weather guides
  • Customizable alert preferences
Features
Read full description

Never miss a tornado warning - I'm looking at you, tornado alley! Get instant alerts via phone call, SMS, and email when severe weather threatens your saved locations - plus the most detailed tornado data available anywhere. KEY FEATURES: NEW: LOCAL TAB — PERSONALIZED TO YOUR ADDRESS - See if active warnings impact your exact address - Tornado warnings, watches, severe thunderstorm & marine alerts (US & Canada) - Upcoming risk — today, tomorrow, and day 3 - Local conditions: high/low, feels like, humidity, and wind - NEW: Tornado history near you — past paths within 50 miles - NEW: Tornado warning history near you — past warnings within 50 miles - Search any US/Canada address, or use GPS - Pro: track up to 5 saved addresses LIVE TORNADO WARNINGS - Real-time tracking across all 50 states and Canada - Active warnings with polygon boundaries on maps - Affected population and county data - US and Canada population breakdowns - Broadcast audio playback for Canadian alerts - Daily activity summaries SEVERE WEATHER ALERTS - Tornado Watch monitoring - Severe Thunderstorm Warnings - Special Marine Warnings - Filter by type, state, country, and time INTERACTIVE MAPS - Live radar overlay - Precise warning polygons - Auto-zoom to warnings - Toggle active/expired alerts - Optional location display - 4 map styles: Standard, Minimal, Dark, Terrain MAP LAYERS -HD Radar (MRMS high-resolution) -Forecast Radar (predictive modeling) -Echo Tops (storm height data) -Satellite imagery (real-time) -Precipitation overlay -Storm Cells (tornado rotation & hail detection) -Base Reflectivity (raw NEXRAD radar returns) -Velocity (auto selects nearest radar, or pick any site manually) TORNADO ARCHIVE - 85,000+ historical US records since 1680 - 3,100+ historical Canadian records since 1980 - NEW: Path maps — tap any tornado to see its exact start & end - NEW: Filter by intensity, decade, deaths & path length - Event narratives with deaths & injuries - Browse by state, county, province and territory - Deadliest, longest, widest tornado stats - Monthly and time-of-day charts - EF0-EF5 intensity distribution WEATHER OUTLOOKS -Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 tornado outlooks -Categorical risk levels -Tornado, wind, and hail probability maps -NEW: Fire Weather outlooks with wind/humidity zones -NEW: Excessive Rainfall (flash flood risk) outlooks -NEW: Snow probability outlooks -Convective Outlook and CIG support LEARN -8 guides written in plain English -Watch vs. Warning, Reading the Map, Understanding Outlooks -Understanding Radar Types, The EF Scale, Tornado Safety, How Alerts Work -NEW: The Local Tab — alerts for your exact address -No meteorology degree required CUSTOMIZATION & FEATURES - Full dark mode (Light/Dark/System) - 4 map styles to choose from - Warning details with countdown timers - Filter by state, country, and time period - iPad optimized - In-app support and sharing DATA SOURCES: - National Weather Service (NWS) - Storm Prediction Center (SPC) - Weather Prediction Center (WPC) - NOAA Storm Events Database - Apple Weather GO PRO ($39.99/year, or $149.99 lifetime) (US ONLY) -Phone calls when tornado warnings, watches and severe thunderstorms are issued -NEW: Year-round coverage — flash flood, snow squall, winter storm, blizzard, ice storm & high wind warnings -SMS texts with warning details -Email bulletins with full NWS statements -Monitor up to 5 locations -Alert 2 phone numbers -Turn each alert type on or off anytime 3-DAY RISK ALERTS — Only on Tornado Path! -Text & email up to 3 days before tornado or severe storm risk hits your area -Personalized to your saved addresses — no risk, no message -Know before the storm so you can prepare PERFECT FOR: Storm chasers, weather enthusiasts, researchers, emergency professionals, and anyone in tornado-prone areas. (Complements, not replaces, primary warning systems. Use NOAA Weather Radio for backup) Terms: https://www.tornadopath.com/terms Privacy: https://www.tornadopath.com/privacy

About

Aurora Scanner

Features
Read full description

Aurora Scanner helps you decide when and where to look for the northern lights. It combines current space-weather data with hourly cloud cover and darkness for your destination, then explains what is helping or limiting your chance. PLAN TONIGHT See a clear verdict, the main limiting factor, and the strongest viewing window. Cloud, darkness, moonlight, and aurora activity stay separate so a cloudy sky is never confused with being outside the aurora zone. WATCH THE OVAL LIVE View the latest NOAA OVATION aurora image directly on Tonight, alongside live solar imagery. Every image identifies its source and update age, and opens for closer inspection. CHECK THE MAP BY HOUR Open the full map from Tonight and move through the forecast hour by hour. Compare the aurora model and regional cloud estimate at the time you plan to go outside. PLAN A SHORT STAY Choose your travel dates, save reachable viewing places, compare their conditions, or put a pin on the exact location you want to check. UNDERSTAND THE FORECAST Explore Kp, solar wind, Bz, hemispheric power, twilight, and moon conditions when you want more detail. Freshness labels distinguish current, delayed, estimated, and outlook data. Aurora forecasts are estimates, not promises. Always check local weather, access, road, and safety conditions before travelling. Data sources include NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, and Apple Weather. Terms of Use: https://tryaurorascanner.com/en-US/terms/ Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath4 screens
Aurora Scanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath at 15.1 against Aurora Scanner's 17.0. 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Aurora Scanner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath ships an update every 3 days, Aurora Scanner every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath versus Aurora Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTornado Tracker by TornadoPathAurora Scanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (1.9K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews89.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.9K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRidge Labs LLCNetkreatives bv

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath

Subscriptions4
  • Premium Alerts$9.991 Month
  • Tornado Path Pro (Annual) No Trial$39.991 Year
  • Tornado Path Pro (Annual) Intro1 Year trial$39.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Tornado Path Pro (Annual)3 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Tornado Path Pro (Lifetime)$149.99
3 purchases

Aurora Scanner

Subscriptions3
  • Aurora Scanner — Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Aurora Scanner — Yearly3 Days trial$8.991 Year
  • Aurora Scanner — Yearly3 Days trial$14.991 Year

Questions

Is Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath free?
Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Aurora Scanner free?
Aurora Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath or Aurora Scanner have ads?
Neither Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath nor Aurora Scanner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath or Aurora Scanner?
Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath ships an update every 3 days, and Aurora Scanner every 2 days. Most recently, Tornado Tracker by TornadoPath was updated on November 9, 2026 and Aurora Scanner on November 10, 2026.

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