Comparison

Flying Upwind vs DayCast Weather

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

Head to head
About

Flying Upwind

This tool provides essential weather data for general aviation pilots, including winds aloft, airport conditions, and hazard information. Visualize wind profiles in 3D and access NWS forecasts and alerts for safe flight planning.

Highlights
  • Winds aloft visualization (3D ribbon/particle)
  • Decoded METARs and TAFs with flight category coding
  • Hazard maps (TFRs, SIGMETs, AIRMETs, NOTAMs)
  • NEXRAD radar and wind map overlays
  • NWS area forecast discussions and alerts
  • Works on phone, tablet, and desktop
Features
Read full description

Flying Upwind is a free weather briefing tool built for general aviation pilots. Get the weather data you need for flight planning — all in one place, at a glance. WINDS ALOFT Hourly wind speed, direction, and temperature at every altitude from surface to FL140+. Visualize wind profiles with interactive 3D ribbon and particle views. AIRPORT BRIEFING Decoded METARs and TAFs for nearby airports with flight category color coding (VFR/MVFR/IFR/LIFR). See current conditions and forecast timelines at a glance. HAZARD AWARENESS Active TFRs, SIGMETs, AIRMETs, and NOTAMs plotted on an interactive tactical map with NEXRAD radar and Windy wind overlay. NWS FORECASTS Local NWS area forecast discussions, hourly forecasts, and weather alerts for your location. FEATURES Winds aloft from surface to FL180+ with hourly resolution 3D wind visualization (ribbon and particle modes) Decoded METAR current conditions cards Decoded TAF forecast timeline with flight category coding NEXRAD radar and Windy wind map overlays TFR map with details and fly-to navigation SIGMET and AIRMET hazard polygons Filtered NOTAMs per airport NWS area forecast discussions Works on phone, tablet, and desktop No account required, completely free

About

DayCast Weather

This weather app provides accurate local forecasts, official NWS alerts, and detailed radar information. It offers advanced features like storm-relative velocity and future radar, with a premium subscription for AI-powered insights and widgets.

Highlights
  • Site Doppler radar
  • National radar with animation
  • Storm winds
  • Future radar
  • SPC outlooks and mesoscale discussions
  • NWS watches and warnings
  • Next-hour precipitation
Features
Read full description

DayCast is the weather app you’d open in a real storm and trust. Honest local now and official NWS alerts, readable Site Doppler and National radar, fast on a normal iPhone. RADAR • Site Doppler — nearest WSR-88D Level III reflectivity (polar gates) • National radar with animation and frame scrubbing • Storm winds — storm-relative velocity on Live (Layers) • Future radar — 12-hour scrub on the Radar tab (Yearly) SEVERE WEATHER • SPC Day 1 outlook, mesoscale discussions • Nearby storm reports (optional, Settings) • National Weather Service watches, warnings, and advisories, with time-sensitive notifications SHORT TERM • Next-hour / Next 2 Hours precipitation • Hourly and 10-day forecasts DAYCAST PRO (Monthly or Yearly) • Sky Check — chat with current conditions; photo check when you want • Explain Radar — a plain-language read of the frame • Morning brief — a short written summary from Today's Take • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets • Live Activity (updates when the app refreshes weather) • Unlimited saved locations YEARLY ONLY • Future radar — 12-hour scrub on the Radar tab WHAT'S FREE Radar, NWS alerts, SPC products, forecasts, and next-hour precipitation are free. Pro (Monthly or Yearly) adds AI, unlimited saved locations, widgets, and Live Activity. Yearly also adds Future radar. AI has a daily limit. DATA SOURCES Open-Meteo, the National Weather Service, the Storm Prediction Center, NEXRAD Level III via Iowa Environmental Mesonet, RainViewer, and NASA FIRMS. DayCast is not affiliated with NOAA, the National Weather Service, or any government agency. It is an interpretation aid, not a warning source. Always follow official warnings and the guidance of local emergency officials.

Screenshots

Flying Upwind4 screens
DayCast Weather4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Flying Upwind at none against DayCast Weather's 2. Flying Upwind also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. DayCast Weather sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Flying Upwind asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Flying Upwind against 5.0 for DayCast Weather. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flying Upwind ships an update every 8 days, DayCast Weather every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Flying Upwind versus DayCast Weather: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlying UpwindDayCast Weather
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Number of ratings23 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJosh PerryStephen Moore

Customer experience

Flying Upwind

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

DayCast Weather

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Flying Upwind

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

DayCast Weather

Subscriptions2
  • DayCast Pro$2.991 Month
  • DayCast Pro$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Flying Upwind free?
Flying Upwind is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DayCast Weather free?
DayCast Weather is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Flying Upwind or DayCast Weather?
Flying Upwind and DayCast Weather are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do Flying Upwind or DayCast Weather have ads?
Neither Flying Upwind nor DayCast Weather shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Flying Upwind or DayCast Weather?
Flying Upwind ships an update every 8 days, and DayCast Weather every 6 days. Most recently, Flying Upwind was updated on November 9, 2026 and DayCast Weather on November 6, 2026.

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