Comparison

VortexWeather vs Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map

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

Head to head
About

VortexWeather

Access detailed weather data including hurricanes, radar, satellite, and forecast models. Offers free basic features and paid subscriptions for advanced capabilities like 3D viewers and extended forecast data.

Highlights
  • Live storm tracks and forecast cones
  • NEXRAD radar and satellite imagery
  • Forecast radar and satellite animation
  • Numerical forecast models (GFS, ECMWF)
  • Real-time lightning detection
  • 3D hurricane and radar viewers (Pro)
Features
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VortexWeather turns raw NOAA data into fast, interactive weather maps — hurricanes, radar, satellite, lightning, and full numerical models, all in one app. Free to download and use. Features marked (Basic) or (Pro) require a paid auto-renewable subscription — see Subscriptions below. Available in English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) and Thai. TROPICAL & HURRICANES • Live storm tracks and forecast cones from the National Hurricane Center • Wind radii and tropical watches/warnings • Spaghetti plots from 35+ forecast models (Basic) • Historical storm tracks (Basic) • Storm wind and precipitation animation with max wind swath and rain totals (Pro) • GPU-accelerated 3D hurricane viewer with wind particle animations and isosurfaces (Pro) RADAR & SATELLITE • National and single-site NEXRAD radar (reflectivity & velocity) • Forecast radar: loops continue into the HRRR model's forecast (Basic) • 3D NEXRAD volume scan viewer with cross sections, cell isolation, and tornado rotation tools (Pro) • GOES and Himawari satellite imagery • Satellite animation (Basic) • Real-time lightning FORECAST MODELS • GFS and ECMWF surface temperature, dewpoint, pressure, humidity, and wind — free with a VortexWeather account • Animated surface wind particle flow — free with a VortexWeather account • Upper-air heights and winds, CAPE, precipitation, cloud cover, and more (Basic) • High-resolution HRRR model and animated wind barbs (Basic) SEVERE, AVIATION & MORE • SPC outlooks, WPC forecasts, and live NWS alerts (Basic) • Aviation hazards: SIGMET/AIRMET/PIREP and METARs (Basic) • USGS earthquakes SUBSCRIPTIONS VortexWeather is free to download, with ads. A paid subscription removes ads and unlocks the features marked above: • VortexWeather Basic — $4.99 per month or $50.90 per year • VortexWeather Pro — $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year; includes everything in Basic plus the features marked (Pro) Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://vortexweather.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://vortexweather.com/privacy VortexWeather is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Always rely on official sources such as the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center for life-safety decisions.

About

Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map

Features
Read full description

Don't wait for the news to tell you a storm is coming. Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map puts live tropical storm data - straight from NOAA and the National Weather Service - right in your pocket. Track every active hurricane and tropical storm on an interactive map, see the official forecast cone and track and get instant alerts before a watch becomes a warning. TRACK EVERY STORM IN REAL TIME • Live position, wind speed, and pressure for every active tropical system • Official forecast cone and observed/forecast track lines • Live radar overlay to see rain bands and storm structure as it happens ALERTS THAT ACTUALLY MATTER • Instant push notifications for hurricane and tropical storm watches and warnings • Alerts for your current location AND any saved locations - track home, a parent's house, or a vacation rental at the same time • Choose to be notified for warnings only, or watches too - you decide BE READY, NOT SCARED • Customizable emergency prep checklist • Storm safety guide with the Saffir-Simpson scale and before/during/after tips • Evacuation zone lookup and nearby shelter finder • One-tap emergency contacts • Family check-in - share your status and location with the people who worry about you FOR HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS • Home inventory tool - photograph and value your belongings before a storm so you're ready if you ever need to file a claim • Face ID-protected document vault for your ID, insurance policy and other important papers BUILT ON OFFICIAL DATA Every storm position, forecast cone and alert comes from NOAA's National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service but it is not affiliated with or endorsed by NOAA or the NHC. FREE TO START The map, live storm tracking, forecast cone, and alerts are free, along with a basic prep checklist. Upgrade to Premium for live radar, unlimited saved locations, evacuation & shelter tools, family check-in, document vault, home inventory and faster 1-minute refresh during active storms. Whether you're on the Gulf Coast, the Atlantic Seaboard, in the Caribbean or just watching a storm that might affect your travel plans, Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map gives you the same information the professionals use - clear, fast, and without the cable news noise. Download now and never be caught off guard by a storm again. Privacy Policy: https://policy-6ef9d.web.app/ Terms of Use: https://terms-345fd.web.app/

Screenshots

VortexWeather4 screens
Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map at none against VortexWeather's shown. Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map also leads on update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). VortexWeather's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, in-app purchases 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. VortexWeather sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VortexWeather ships an update fortnightly, Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
VortexWeather versus Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVortexWeatherHurricane Tracker & Storm Map
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVORTEXWEATHER LLCLarysa Koltsova

In-app purchases

4 purchases

VortexWeather

Subscriptions4
  • Basic Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Basic Annual$50.901 Year
Show 1 more
  • Pro Annual$99.991 Year
3 purchases

Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map

Subscriptions3
  • Hurricane Tracker Premium$3.997 Days
  • Hurricane Tracker Premium$9.991 Month
  • Hurricane Tracker Premium$49.991 Year

Questions

Is VortexWeather free?
VortexWeather is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map free?
Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do VortexWeather or Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map have ads?
VortexWeather shows ads; Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map does not.
Which is updated more often, VortexWeather or Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map?
VortexWeather ships an update fortnightly, and Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map weekly. Most recently, VortexWeather was updated on October 25, 2026 and Hurricane Tracker & Storm Map on October 27, 2026.

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