Comparison

MetarBoard Wind vs NaviMETAR

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

Head to head
About

MetarBoard Wind

Features
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MetarBoard Wind brings real-time wind conditions to life with animated particle visualizations overlaid on official FAA airport diagrams. A companion app to MetarBoardPro.com, our multi-pane METAR dashboard for web and TV. Search any airport by ICAO or FAA identifier and instantly see wind direction, speed, and gusts displayed as flowing color-coded streaks. LIVE WEATHER DATA Wind observations are pulled directly from aviationweather.gov METAR reports and refresh automatically every 5 minutes. When METAR is unavailable, the app falls back to TAF forecast data or the nearest reporting station within 30 miles, so you always have the latest wind picture. CROSSWIND CALCULATOR View headwind and crosswind components for every runway end at the airport, sorted best-to-worst. Instantly identify the most favorable runway for current conditions. FAA AIRPORT DIAGRAMS Official FAA d-TPP airport diagrams are displayed as the backdrop for the wind visualization, giving you spatial context for wind direction relative to runways and taxiways. FLIGHT CATEGORIES Color-coded VFR, MVFR, IFR, and LIFR badges show ceiling and visibility conditions at a glance. METAR observation age is tracked in minutes, with stale data clearly highlighted. NEARBY AIRPORTS Allow location access to see METAR-reporting airports within 100 miles, sorted by distance. Tap any nearby airport to jump straight to its wind display. FAVORITES Star any airport for quick access. Your favorites persist across launches and appear in a collapsible panel for fast switching between airports you fly most. SMART SEARCH Type an ICAO code and get autocomplete suggestions from a bundled database of nearly 29,000 airports. FAA identifiers are accepted too — enter "T31" and it resolves to "KT31" automatically. DESIGNED FOR READABILITY Choose dark or light theme manually, or let the app switch automatically based on time of day. All UI panels collapse to keep the airport diagram front and center. The dark theme inverts diagram colors for comfortable nighttime use. WORKS EVERYWHERE Runs natively on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. No account required. No ads. NOT FOR FLIGHT PLANNING OR NAVIGATION MetarBoard Wind is for informational and educational purposes only. Weather data is sourced from the Aviation Weather Center. Airport diagrams are sourced from the FAA. This app is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA, NOAA, or any aviation authority. Always use official sources for flight planning decisions.

About

NaviMETAR

Features
Read full description

NaviMETAR: The Essential Flight Simulation Companion NaviMETAR is a comprehensive data tool specifically designed for flight simulation enthusiasts (X-Plane, MSFS, Prepar3D). Get instant access to essential flight data and streamline your virtual flight planning with a professional and intuitive interface. Key Features: • Real-Time Weather Reports: Access instant METAR and TAF reports for airports worldwide to match your sim weather. • Essential Airport Data: Quick access to ATIS frequencies and NOTAMs to enhance your virtual cockpit experience. • Navigation Charts: Explore FIX Charts to help you visualize waypoints and plan your virtual flight paths with precision. • Comprehensive Aviation Dictionary: A built-in database of aviation abbreviations and technical terms used in the flight sim community. • Detailed Airport Info: Get runway lengths, elevations, and communication frequencies in one place. DISCLAIMER: NaviMETAR is for FLIGHT SIMULATION USE ONLY. It must NOT be used for real-world flight planning or navigation. Safety is paramount; always use official and certified aeronautical sources for real-world aviation.

Screenshots

MetarBoard Wind2 screens
NaviMETAR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NaviMETAR at none against MetarBoard Wind's 3. NaviMETAR also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (14.0.0 vs 26.2). MetarBoard Wind's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price 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. MetarBoard Wind sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. NaviMETAR asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MetarBoard Wind ships an update every 3 weeks, NaviMETAR daily. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 2 level
MetarBoard Wind versus NaviMETAR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMetarBoard WindNaviMETAR
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksDaily — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.214.0.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEdward JudenOsama Nabel

In-app purchases

3 purchases

MetarBoard Wind

One-time3
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • Medium Tip$2.99
  • Large Tip$4.99
None

NaviMETAR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MetarBoard Wind free?
MetarBoard Wind is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NaviMETAR free?
NaviMETAR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do MetarBoard Wind or NaviMETAR have ads?
NaviMETAR shows ads; MetarBoard Wind does not.
Which is updated more often, MetarBoard Wind or NaviMETAR?
MetarBoard Wind ships an update every 3 weeks, and NaviMETAR daily. Most recently, MetarBoard Wind was updated on October 31, 2026 and NaviMETAR on October 31, 2026.

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