Cloud Identifier vs Before It Strikes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cloud Identifier
Instantly identify clouds with AI by taking a photo of the sky. Get detailed insights like cloud type, rarity, storm potential, and composition. Track your discoveries and explore a built-in cloud guide.
- Instant AI cloud identification
- Detailed cloud insights (type, rarity, storm potential)
- Personal cloud discovery tracking
- Built-in cloud encyclopedia
- Simple point-and-scan interface
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Identify clouds instantly with AI. Simply take a photo of the sky and get detailed, fascinating insights about the clouds above you. Each scan reveals rich information, including cloud type, rarity, storm potential, composition, mood, a poetic title, and a confidence score — helping you understand both the science and atmosphere of the sky. Keep track of your cloud discoveries with personal stats and saved scans. See which cloud types you encounter most and uncover rare formations you may never notice otherwise. Explore clouds in depth with a built-in cloud guide, designed like a mini encyclopedia. Learn how different clouds form, change, and signal weather patterns in a simple, visual, and enjoyable way. Designed for curiosity and ease of use, the app lets you point, scan, and understand the sky in seconds — no prior knowledge required at all. Terms of Use: By using this app, you agree to the Apple Standard End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
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 in-app purchases: Before It Strikes at none against Cloud Identifier's 2. Before It Strikes also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (6 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and iOS requirement 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. Cloud Identifier sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Before It Strikes asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Cloud Identifier against 5.0 for Before It Strikes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Before It Strikes has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Cloud Identifier ships an update every 4 months, Before It Strikes weekly. The most recent releases landed on August 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cloud Identifier | Before It Strikes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 26 MB | 37 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sheng Yong Loh | Cody Negri |
Customer experience
Cloud Identifier
Before It Strikes
In-app purchases
Cloud Identifier
- Cloud Identifier - One Week Premium3 Days trial$3.997 Days
- Cloud Identifier - One Year Premium$29.991 Year
Before It Strikes
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cloud Identifier free?
Is Before It Strikes free?
Which has better reviews, Cloud Identifier or Before It Strikes?
Do Cloud Identifier or Before It Strikes have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cloud Identifier or Before It Strikes?
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