Comparison

Lightning Tracker & Radar Map vs KiteCast

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

Head to head
About

Lightning Tracker & Radar Map

This app provides real-time lightning strike data and storm tracking on a map. It helps users understand approaching storms, set alerts for saved locations, and follow safety guidelines.

Highlights
  • Live lightning strike map
  • Storm zone tracking
  • Radar overlay (Premium)
  • Push alerts for saved places
  • 30-30 safety timer
  • Forecast context (Premium)
Features
Read full description

Lightning Tracker & Radar Map helps you understand storm activity before it reaches you. See live lightning, storm zones, alerts, saved places and forecast context in one focused weather safety app. Powered by NOAA GOES GLM and EUMETSAT MTG-I1 LI satellite data, Lightning Tracker shows recent lightning flashes on a fast map, clusters active strikes into storm zones, and helps you judge whether a storm is building, approaching or moving away. Coverage includes the Americas, Atlantic, Europe and Africa; features depend on supported coverage and data availability. USE IT BEFORE YOU GO OUT Check storms before golf, boating, hiking, school sports, outdoor work, road trips, camping, events and family time outside. Open the map, check the nearest activity, review the storm zone and decide whether to wait, move or seek shelter. LIVE LIGHTNING MAP Fresh strikes appear on the map with age and distance context. Zoom from a regional view down to the places that matter and keep watching as cells develop. STORM ZONES AND TRACKS Lightning clusters are grouped into storm zones so the map is easier to read. Track movement, intensity and projected paths instead of trying to interpret scattered strikes one by one. HISTORY AND FORECAST Premium unlocks 24-hour lightning history, a lightning heatmap and storm forecast context from NOAA SPC where available. ALERTS FOR SAVED PLACES Set an alert radius around the places you care about. Free users can monitor one saved place with basic storm data; Premium adds push alerts, wider radius, more saved places, advanced storm data and an ad-free experience. 30-30 SAFETY TIMER Use the built-in timer to follow the 30-minute lightning safety rule after nearby activity. It gives you a simple outdoor-safety checkpoint when the sky is changing fast. Lightning Tracker is built for one practical question: how close is the storm, where is it moving and is it time to get inside? Terms: https://lightningtracker.app/terms Privacy: https://lightningtracker.app/privacy

About

KiteCast

Features
Read full description

KiteCast is a wind forecast app built specifically for kitesurfers who ride thermic sea breezes — the reliable afternoon winds that generic weather apps consistently under-read. Most forecasts show you the gradient (synoptic) wind and miss the thermal that actually fills in on a sunny afternoon at spots like Akyaka / Gökova. KiteCast models the thermic diurnal cycle — how the breeze builds in the late morning, peaks mid-afternoon, and fades by evening — using sky clearness and solar heating, not just raw model wind. FEATURES Live wind — real-time wind speed, gusts, and direction straight from on-spot weather stations. Thermal forecast — an hour-by-hour prediction tuned for sea-breeze spots, blending live measurements into the forecast as the day develops. History — browse past wind so you can learn the patterns at your spot. Wind alerts — get a push notification when conditions are lining up for a session, so you stop refreshing all afternoon. Clean, glanceable design — a compass rose and clear knot readouts you can check in a second. Primary spot: Akyaka / Gökova, Turkey — one of the most consistent summer thermal spots in the world. More spots included. KiteCast is free, needs no account, and does not track your location. Check the wind. Grab your kite. Go ride.

Screenshots

Lightning Tracker & Radar Map4 screens
KiteCast4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: KiteCast at none against Lightning Tracker & Radar Map's 5. Lightning Tracker & Radar Map's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 8 days) and chart position (#116 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Lightning Tracker & Radar Map sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. KiteCast asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightning Tracker & Radar Map ships an update every 2 days, KiteCast every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Lightning Tracker & Radar Map versus KiteCast: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightning Tracker & Radar MapKiteCast
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (116 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings116 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
Best chart rank#116 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNikolai IakubovskiiDatamesh Consulting Ltd

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Lightning Tracker & Radar Map

Subscriptions5
  • Lightning Tracker Premium$5.997 Days
  • Premium Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Lightning Tracker Premium$19.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Lightning Tracker Premium3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Lightning Tracker Premium3 Days trial$44.991 Year
None

KiteCast

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lightning Tracker & Radar Map free?
Lightning Tracker & Radar Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is KiteCast free?
KiteCast is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Lightning Tracker & Radar Map or KiteCast have ads?
Neither Lightning Tracker & Radar Map nor KiteCast shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lightning Tracker & Radar Map or KiteCast?
Lightning Tracker & Radar Map ships an update every 2 days, and KiteCast every 8 days. Most recently, Lightning Tracker & Radar Map was updated on October 25, 2026 and KiteCast on October 5, 2026.

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