Hurricane Recon vs Guidepole
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hurricane Recon
Access critical tropical weather data in one place. Get real-time information used by forecasters and reconnaissance crews for enthusiasts, emergency managers, pilots, mariners, and coastal residents.
- Real-time tropical weather data
- Forecaster and reconnaissance data access
- User-friendly interface
- Information for weather enthusiasts
- Tools for emergency managers
- Data for pilots and mariners
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Hurricane Recon brings together critical tropical weather information into a single, easy-to-use application. Designed for weather enthusiasts, emergency managers, pilots, mariners, and coastal residents, Hurricane Hunter provides real-time access to the same operational data used by forecasters and reconnaissance crews. Hurricane Recon Premium Premium unlocks animated satellite and radar loops, live reconnaissance aircraft tracking, and flight search. Storms, cones, forecast models, Plan of the Day and live HDOB observations remain free. • Hurricane Recon Premium — $2.99 per month • Length of subscription: 1 month, auto-renewing • One month free for new subscribers Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period. Manage or cancel your subscription in Settings → Apple Account → Subscriptions. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when a subscription is purchased. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://hurricanerecon.com/privacy.html
Guidepole
Track active wildfires and monitor smoke plumes with real-time air quality data. Get 24-hour forecasts for smoke and AQI, and receive alerts for fires and poor air conditions near saved locations.
- Live wildfire tracking
- Real-time smoke plumes
- 24-hour smoke forecast
- Air quality index (AQI) monitoring
- 24-hour AQI forecast
- Customizable alerts
- Built-in assistant for queries
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Wildfire smoke doesn't stay where the fire is. Guidepole Fire is a live wildfire map that shows every fire, the smoke overhead and the air you're actually breathing, right now and for the next 24 hours. So you know whether to go outside, close the windows or get out of town. EVERY WILDFIRE, LIVE • Active wildfires across the US and Canada: size, containment, cause and crews, updated continuously. • Official fire perimeters from NIFC, drawn on a 3D map of the terrain. • Satellite hot spots from NASA FIRMS, so new heat shows up even before a fire has a name. • Wind, humidity, radar and red flag warnings, so you can see which way a fire may run. SMOKE AND AIR QUALITY • The live smoke plume overhead from NOAA satellites. • A 24-hour smoke forecast you can scrub hour by hour. • Real-time air quality (AQI) from EPA AirNow and PurpleAir sensors, with a 24-hour AQI forecast. ANSWERS, NOT JUST DATA • "Where's this smoke coming from?" Tap any spot and Guidepole Fire traces it to the upwind fire. • "Is my air safe right now?" The current AQI in plain words, and what it means for you. • "When will it clear?" A read on how wind and weather will move the smoke out. • Or just ask Gary, the built-in assistant, about the fires, smoke and air near any place. FREE FIRE AND SMOKE ALERTS Save home, the cabin or anywhere you care about. Get a heads-up when a new fire starts nearby, when satellite heat shows up, when a red flag warning is issued, or when smoke and bad air reach your places. The core safety alerts are always free. FIRE PRO (OPTIONAL) Unlock the full forecast and deeper detail with Fire Pro, monthly or annual. Start with a free trial and cancel anytime. Built on public data from NIFC, NASA FIRMS, NOAA HMS and HRRR, EPA AirNow, PurpleAir and the National Weather Service. Guidepole Fire is an information tool, not an emergency service. It does not replace evacuation orders or alerts from local authorities, 911, InciWeb, AirNow or the National Weather Service. Always follow official guidance. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://guidepole.com/legal/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Hurricane Recon at free against Guidepole's freemium. Guidepole's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.5). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Hurricane Recon sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month and Guidepole sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Hurricane Recon against 5.0 for Guidepole. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Hurricane Recon | Guidepole |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (7 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.5 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 89 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Mary Heintz | Guidepole LLC |
Customer experience
Hurricane Recon
Guidepole
In-app purchases
Hurricane Recon
- Premium1 Month trial$2.991 Month
Guidepole
- Guidepole Fire Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Guidepole Fire Pro7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Questions
Is Hurricane Recon free?
Is Guidepole free?
Which has better reviews, Hurricane Recon or Guidepole?
Do Hurricane Recon or Guidepole have ads?
Which is updated more often, Hurricane Recon or Guidepole?
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