# Lightning Tracker vs NWS Weather (Unofficial)

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NWS Weather (Unofficial) at none against Lightning Tracker's 2. Lightning Tracker's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lightning Tracker sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. NWS Weather (Unofficial) asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Lightning Tracker against 5.0 for NWS Weather (Unofficial). Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 4 respectively.

Lightning Tracker ships an update every 4 weeks, NWS Weather (Unofficial) fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lightning Tracker | NWS Weather (Unofficial) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightning-tracker-radar-map/id6789006775/reviews) | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nws-weather-unofficial/id6790822706/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **8** | 4 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 40 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kurt Higa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1735394078) | [Benjamin Issa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1860745071) |

## What reviewers say

### Lightning Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightning-tracker-radar-map/id6789006775)

Track lightning strikes in real-time with live maps and receive push notifications before storms arrive. View precipitation radar, storm intensity hotspots, and NOAA's severe weather outlook. Rewind up to 24 hours of storm activity.

**Highlights:** Live lightning strike map, Push notifications for lightning alerts, 2-hour precipitation radar playback, Storm intensity hotspots, NOAA severe storm outlook, 24-hour storm rewind

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lightning Tracker Pro Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Lightning Tracker Pro Annual | $19.99 | per year |


### NWS Weather (Unofficial)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nws-weather-unofficial/id6790822706)

Get accurate weather forecasts directly from the U.S. National Weather Service. This app offers current conditions, hourly and 7-day outlooks, official alerts, and an interactive radar map. It prioritizes user privacy with no accounts or tracking.

**Highlights:** Direct NWS forecasts, Hourly and 7-day outlooks, Official NWS alerts, Interactive radar map, Air Quality Index (AQI), Home screen widgets, Sunrise/sunset times

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lightning Tracker free?

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

### Is NWS Weather (Unofficial) free?

NWS Weather (Unofficial) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Lightning Tracker or NWS Weather (Unofficial)?

Lightning Tracker and NWS Weather (Unofficial) are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 8 and 4 ratings respectively.

### Do Lightning Tracker or NWS Weather (Unofficial) have ads?

Neither Lightning Tracker nor NWS Weather (Unofficial) shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lightning Tracker or NWS Weather (Unofficial)?

Lightning Tracker ships an update every 4 weeks, and NWS Weather (Unofficial) fortnightly. Most recently, Lightning Tracker was updated on October 28, 2026 and NWS Weather (Unofficial) on October 28, 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.*