# Hurricane Recon vs Guidepole

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.

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 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hurricane Recon | Guidepole |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hurricane-recon/id6777447589/reviews) | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guidepole-wildfire-smoke-map/id6796063881/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 10 MB | 89 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.5 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Mary Heintz](https://appshunter.io/developer/6777447591) | [Guidepole LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6790563876) |

## What reviewers say

### Hurricane Recon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hurricane-recon/id6777447589)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $2.99 | per month |


### Guidepole

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guidepole-wildfire-smoke-map/id6796063881)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Guidepole Fire Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Guidepole Fire Pro | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hurricane Recon free?

Hurricane Recon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Guidepole free?

Guidepole is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Hurricane Recon or Guidepole?

Hurricane Recon and Guidepole are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7 and 4 ratings respectively.

### Do Hurricane Recon or Guidepole have ads?

Neither Hurricane Recon nor Guidepole shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hurricane Recon or Guidepole?

Hurricane Recon ships an update weekly, and Guidepole weekly. Most recently, Hurricane Recon was updated on November 5, 2026 and Guidepole on November 13, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*