Comparison

HailCore vs StormTap

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

Head to head
About

HailCore

Receive proactive alerts for approaching hail-producing storms. This app continuously monitors radar data, notifying you before severe weather impacts your location. It also provides detailed forecasts, current conditions, and hurricane tracking.

Highlights
  • Hail-producing radar core detection
  • Push notifications for approaching storms
  • Live radar map with hail size estimates
  • Wind gust alerts from ground stations
  • Hurricane and tropical cyclone tracker
  • 7-day forecast and current conditions
  • Dual-polarization radar analysis
Features
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HailCore is built specifically to detect hail-producing radar cores and alert you before they reach your location. Most weather apps make you watch the radar yourself. HailCore watches it for you — scanning live NEXRAD data continuously and sending a push notification the moment a high-reflectivity core crosses your alert radius. WHAT HAILCORE DOES - Monitors live NEXRAD radar for hail-producing cores, using dual-polarization (CC/ZDR) classification layered on reflectivity — not reflectivity alone - Sends push alerts when a hail-producing cell enters your defined radius - Displays detected cells on a live map with dBZ values and estimated hail size - Separate wind gust alerts from real ASOS/AWOS ground-station reports — not radar-derived — with their own threshold and radius - Hurricane and tropical cyclone tracker: forecast cone, track, and storm points sourced from NOAA - Shows your nearest NEXRAD radar station and last update time - Integrates with your Tempest Weather Station for local ground truth data - Current conditions at your location: temperature, wind, humidity, dewpoint, pressure, and visibility - Full 7-day forecast, hourly breakdown, and sun/moon data WHY dBZ MATTERS Reflectivity (dBZ) is the most reliable radar indicator of hail — but reflectivity alone can't always tell hail apart from heavy rain. HailCore layers dual-polarization classification (correlation coefficient and differential reflectivity) on top of a 58 dBZ default to help make that distinction. Choose Conservative for fewer, higher-confidence alerts, Balanced for the default behavior, Aggressive to flag every reflectivity core above the severe-hail threshold, or Auto to let HailCore pick the right sensitivity per storm based on that day's NOAA SPC hail outlook at your location. BUILT FOR PEOPLE WITH SOMETHING TO PROTECT Whether it's your vehicle, your roof, your lawn, or your equipment — HailCore gives you the lead time to take cover, pull into a garage, or get off the road before hail arrives. HAILCORE PREMIUM - Hail Risk forecast powered by NOAA SPC Convective Outlooks (Day 1-2) - SPC Convective Outlook map overlay — national Day 1-3 categorical risk zones - Storm movement vectors showing cell direction and speed - Radar timelapse - Cloud density overlay for broader storm-system context - Lightning strike overlay using real GOES satellite lightning data - Full national radar view — the whole-CONUS mosaic, not just your local station - Multi-location monitoring Available as $2.99/month, $24.99/year, or a limited-time $49.99 lifetime purchase. HailCore uses NOAA NEXRAD data — the same radar network used by professional meteorologists — delivered in near real-time directly to your device. Terms of Use (EULA): https://hailcore.app/terms

About

StormTap

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StormTap helps you estimate how far away lightning is by pairing the flash you see with the thunder you hear. During a storm, tap LIGHTNING when you see a flash, then THUNDER when you hear it. StormTap estimates the distance from the sound delay and displays the result on a clear map with your recent strikes. StormTap Pro unlocks advanced tools on this device: complete history, timeline navigation, advanced maps, sensor calibration and assisted automatic capture. Collaborative features such as network triangulation and speed ranking are planned to activate progressively depending on rollout and available observations. StormTap is designed for local storm observation. Distances are estimates and must not be used as a safety system. Always follow official weather alerts and local safety instructions.

Screenshots

HailCore4 screens
StormTap4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: StormTap at none against HailCore's 3. StormTap also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. HailCore sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. StormTap asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HailCore ships an update every 2 weeks, StormTap daily. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
HailCore versus StormTap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHailCoreStormTap
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size83 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPHILIP KIRSCHNER KAPPEALBAN MAXIME BOUVIER

In-app purchases

3 purchases

HailCore

Subscriptions2
  • HailCore Premium$2.991 Month
  • HailCore Premium$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • HailCore Premium Lifetime$49.99
None

StormTap

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HailCore free?
HailCore is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StormTap free?
StormTap is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HailCore or StormTap have ads?
Neither HailCore nor StormTap shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HailCore or StormTap?
HailCore ships an update every 2 weeks, and StormTap daily. Most recently, HailCore was updated on October 9, 2026 and StormTap on October 25, 2026.

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