Comparison

WindXplorer vs METAR TAF 3D

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

Head to head
About

WindXplorer

This app provides comprehensive weather data and flight planning tools specifically for hot air balloon pilots. It offers multiple weather models, trajectory simulation, real-time flight tracking, and a digital logbook for recording flight details and sharing with a crew.

Highlights
  • Multiple weather models (AROME, ICON-D2, UKMO, MET Nordic, GFS)
  • FlyScore for instant flight readiness assessment
  • Vertical sounding and wind rose for aerological understanding
  • Predicted trajectory simulation on aeronautical charts
  • Real-time flight tracking with airspace information
  • Digital flight logbook with statistics and photo integration
  • Crew and club flight site sharing
Features
Read full description

Flying a hot air balloon starts with a weather decision. WindXplorer brings together in a single app everything a pilot needs to make it — then to fly, and to keep a record of every flight. BEFORE THE FLIGHT — DECIDE WITH CONFIDENCE View and compare the best weather models (AROME, ICON-D2, UKMO, MET Nordic, GFS) for your launch site, hour by hour and altitude by altitude. The FlyScore distills wind, rain, CAPE, and cloud cover into a 0–100% score: your flying window at a glance, up to 14 days ahead. UNDERSTAND THE AEROLOGY The vertical sounding table and wind rose reveal speed, direction, temperature, and humidity at every altitude. Spot wind shear, pick your steering layers, anticipate your drift. SIMULATE BEFORE YOU INFLATE Plot your predicted trajectory based on your chosen altitude and duration, right on the aeronautical chart with CTR and TMA zones and restricted areas. You know where you're headed before you even lift off. DURING THE FLIGHT — STAY IN CONTROL OF YOUR TRACK Live position on an aeronautical chart, airspace you're crossing, heading, speed, variometer, distance to your planned point. Your chase crew follows you in real time. AFTER THE FLIGHT — KEEP THE RECORD The flight logbook records your flights, photos, and statistics (duration, distance, max altitude). Replay your trajectories, share your best flights, and browse the history of your club or your fleet of pilots. FLY AS A TEAM Save and share your launch sites and favorite places with your crew and your club. Built by and for balloon pilots, WindXplorer is with you from the first weather briefing to the last line of the logbook.

About

METAR TAF 3D

Features
Read full description

Read a METAR at a glance — then see it. METAR TAF 3D turns raw aviation weather into a picture: an animated 3D cloud profile with the real ceiling, visibility and precipitation for the airport you are flying to, plus a 14-day meteogram built for pilots rather than for the general public. SEE THE SKY, NOT A STRING OF CODE • Animated 3D cloud profile — layers at their true heights, live rain and snow • Ceiling and visibility marked where they actually are • Day and night rendering that follows the sun at that airport • Active runway and wind indicator on the ground band EVERY CODE EXPLAINED, WITH ITS SOURCE • Tap any code in a raw METAR or TAF for a plain-language explanation • 128 codes covering the international ICAO format plus the national remark sections most pilots never learn: US RMK groups, Canadian cloud-type remarks, UK and NATO colour states • Every definition is cited to the document it comes from — FAA AC 00-45H, WMO No. 306, the NWS ASOS User's Guide, MANOBS — with a link to the original • Searchable glossary grouped by country A METEOGRAM BUILT FOR PILOTS • 14 days of fog risk, ceiling, visibility, temperature/dew point spread • Turbulence and icing bands, freezing level, density altitude • Winds aloft from the surface to FL300 • Crosswind for the active runway, hour by hour • Multiple forecast models side by side — ECMWF, GFS, ICON, GEM — and a consensus blend FULL PRE-FLIGHT PICTURE • Decoded METAR and TAF with BASE, TEMPO and BECMG periods • Aviation briefing: flight category, QNH, density altitude, winds aloft • NOTAMs and PIREPs • Weather map with flight-category colouring and a model wind rose • Runway compass with crosswind and headwind components • Worst-weather scan across your airports • Notes with freehand drawing, favourites, home-screen widget • Spoken briefing in nine languages BUILT ON OFFICIAL DATA Observations and forecasts come from NOAA/NWS and Open-Meteo. Runway data comes from published aerodrome records. Nothing in the decoder is guessed: where a code could not be verified against an official document, it is left out rather than invented. Nine languages: English, Turkish, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Chinese, Malay. METAR TAF 3D is a situational-awareness aid. It is not a substitute for an official weather briefing or for the pilot-in-command's judgement. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.kalyndatech.com/privacy

Screenshots

WindXplorer4 screens
METAR TAF 3D4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: WindXplorer at none against METAR TAF 3D's 1. WindXplorer also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence 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. METAR TAF 3D sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $34.99 per year. WindXplorer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WindXplorer ships an update every 4 days, METAR TAF 3D every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
WindXplorer versus METAR TAF 3D: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWindXplorerMETAR TAF 3D
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdrien de SadeKalynda Teknoloji Havacilik ve Turizm Limited Sirketi

In-app purchases

None

WindXplorer

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

METAR TAF 3D

Subscriptions1
  • MetarTaf 3D Pro3 Days trial$34.991 Year

Questions

Is WindXplorer free?
WindXplorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is METAR TAF 3D free?
METAR TAF 3D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do WindXplorer or METAR TAF 3D have ads?
METAR TAF 3D shows ads; WindXplorer does not.
Which is updated more often, WindXplorer or METAR TAF 3D?
WindXplorer ships an update every 4 days, and METAR TAF 3D every 2 days. Most recently, WindXplorer was updated on November 12, 2026 and METAR TAF 3D on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons