Frost Watch vs Lightning Tracker & Thunder
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Frost Watch
This app provides precise ground-level frost predictions by analyzing atmospheric science factors beyond just air temperature. It offers a 0-10 risk score, 7-day forecasts, and plant-specific alerts to help gardeners protect their plants from unexpected frosts.
- Ground temperature estimation
- 0-10 risk score
- 7-day frost forecast
- Plant-specific alerts
- Evening notifications
- Daytime frost detection
- Home screen widgets
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Your weather app says 34°F. But at ground level - where your plants actually live - it's 26°F. That difference is the reason you keep losing plants to "surprise" frosts. Frost Watch uses atmospheric science to predict what's really happening at ground level. Instead of relying on a simple temperature threshold, it calculates frost risk using dew point, cloud cover, wind speed, humidity, and radiative cooling physics - the same factors professional meteorologists use. HOW IT WORKS Frost forms through radiative cooling: on clear, calm nights, the ground loses heat to the sky and can drop 6-8°F below the forecast air temperature. Frost Watch models this process using peer-reviewed research from the FAO, NOAA, and published atmospheric science, then distills it into a simple 0-10 risk score. Every evening, you get a score, an explanation of why, and specific advice on what to do. FEATURES - Ground Temperature Estimation See both the forecast air temperature and the estimated ground-level temperature side by side. Understand why frost can form even when the forecast says 34°F. - 0-10 Risk Score A single number that accounts for cloud cover, wind speed, dew point, humidity, and recent precipitation. Each factor's impact is shown so you understand exactly why tonight is risky - or safe. - 7-Day Frost Forecast Plan your week with daily overnight frost risk scores. Tap any day for hourly breakdowns and detailed weather factors. - 67 Plant-Specific Alerts + Pipes Add your plants from a curated database of vegetables, fruits, flowers, and tropicals. Each has scientifically researched damage and kill temperatures. When ground temps approach your plants' thresholds, you'll see exactly which ones need protection and what to do. - Evening Notifications Get alerts at a time you choose (default 7 PM) so you have time to cover plants or bring containers inside before nightfall. Set your risk threshold, lookahead window (up to 7 days), and quiet weekends. Notifications are scheduled in advance and fire even if you don't open the app. - Daytime Frost Detection Most apps only check overnight lows. Frost Watch also scans for rare daytime freezes - devastating for spring blooms - and alerts you the evening before. - Home Screen Widgets Small and medium widgets show tonight's risk score and upcoming forecast at a glance. No need to open the app to know if tonight matters. - Works Everywhere Enter any location worldwide. Uses Open-Meteo weather data with automatic timezone detection. BUILT FOR GARDENERS, BACKED BY SCIENCE Frost Watch was built because generic weather apps don't tell you what you actually need to know: will frost form tonight, and should I do something about it? The answer depends on more than temperature. It depends on whether the sky is clear enough for radiative cooling, whether wind will mix the air and prevent inversions, whether the dew point is close enough to buffer heat loss, and whether recent rain changed the soil's thermal properties. This app does that math for you and gives you a clear answer every evening. °F or °C. 12h or 24h. Your units, your schedule, your plants. No account. No subscription. No tracking. Ever. All your data stays on your device. Just open the app and protect your garden.
Lightning Tracker & Thunder
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See lightning strikes in real time — on a live map, on your wrist, and in push alerts when storms move toward you. Lightning Tracker shows where thunder is happening right now: individual strikes colour-coded by age, storm hotspots with strike rate and drift, precipitation radar, a world overview of active regions, and strike history you can scrub through like a timeline. WHY LIGHTNING TRACKER • Real-time lightning map centred on your location • Nearest-strike distance, direction, and trend (closing in or moving away) • Storm cells with strike count, rate per minute, and drift direction • Animated precipitation radar overlay • World view of active storm regions worldwide • Strike history with playback — see what already happened • Flash-to-Bang timer — estimate distance from flash to thunder • Storm-risk forecast and official severe-weather alerts nearby • Push notifications for lightning near your saved locations • Home Screen widget, Apple Watch, and Mac menu bar — glanceable updates everywhere STAY AHEAD OF THE STORM Save alert locations for home, work, the ball field, or anywhere that matters. Choose your radius and quiet hours. Premium unlocks unlimited locations, background monitoring, radar, history, and every platform. Built for iPhone, iPad, and Mac with one Universal Purchase. IMPORTANT: Lightning Tracker is for informational use only. Always follow official local warnings and seek shelter when thunderstorms are near. Data coverage varies by region. Download Lightning Tracker and know when thunder is getting close — before you hear it. Terms: https://lightningtracker.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/terms.html Privacy: https://lightningtracker.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Lightning Tracker & Thunder at Free against Frost Watch's $4.99. Frost Watch's advantage is chart position (#67 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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
Lightning Tracker & Thunder is free to download; Frost Watch costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Frost Watch | Lightning Tracker & Thunder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | #67 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Eugene Mim | Feynman EinsteinAI Note Taker OU |
In-app purchases
Frost Watch
No in-app purchases
Lightning Tracker & Thunder
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Frost Watch free?
Is Lightning Tracker & Thunder free?
Do Frost Watch or Lightning Tracker & Thunder have ads?
Which is updated more often, Frost Watch or Lightning Tracker & Thunder?
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