Epicenter vs Solar Weather
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Epicenter
Explore global earthquake activity from the past 30 days on an interactive globe. View detailed information, animate seismic events over time, and customize map displays. Includes companion apps for Apple Watch and a Today Widget for quick access to recent data.
- 30 days of global earthquake data
- Interactive rotatable and zoomable globe
- Earthquake details (magnitude, depth, source)
- Date scroller and animation
- Customizable map terrain and fault lines
- Apple Watch app for recent data
- Today Widget for quick access
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Epicenter — Global Earthquake Monitoring & Alerts Track global seismic activity with timely earthquake notifications, one of the most comprehensive earthquake catalogs available on a mobile device, and powerful tools for exploring earthquakes in space and time. Built on trusted public seismic reporting agencies, Epicenter helps you monitor, understand, and visualize earthquakes worldwide. MONITOR EARTHQUAKES THAT MATTER TO YOU Receive timely notifications for significant earthquakes worldwide and monitor the places and seismic regions that matter most to you. • Worldwide earthquake notifications • Location-based notifications • Watched locations important to you • Watched seismic regions • Notification history and earthquake summaries • Built on multiple trusted global and regional seismic reporting agencies EXPLORE EARTHQUAKES WORLDWIDE View one of the most detailed interactive earthquake maps available on a mobile device. • Worldwide catalog of 25,000+ recent earthquakes updated from multiple public seismic reporting agencies • Interactive 3D globe with pan and zoom • Explore earthquake distributions beneath the Earth's surface with interactive 3D Seismicity • Time Explorer with day-by-day or hour-by-hour playback • Earthquake List View with sorting, filtering, and search • Filter the List View for non-earthquake events like landslides, quarry blasts, explosions, and more • Fly directly to earthquakes and locations of interest UNDERSTAND GLOBAL SEISMICITY Understand earthquakes as part of a larger geological system. • Magnitude and depth visualization • Worldwide plate boundaries • Global fault datasets • Detailed earthquake data • Multiple terrain styles • Geological descriptions and annotations BUILT FOR APPLE DEVICES Designed to feel at home across the Apple ecosystem. • New - Home Screen Widgets • iPhone and iPad support • Light and Dark modes • Apple Watch companion • Mac compatibility via iPad support BUILT BY A SEISMOLOGIST • Designed for accuracy, transparency, and insight. PREMIUM FEATURES Epicenter+ expands Epicenter with advanced notifications, enhanced visualizations, and deeper exploration tools. Everything you enjoy in Epicenter remains free. No ads. Epicenter+ supports continued development of worldwide earthquake monitoring and analysis tools. Epicenter delivers timely notifications as earthquake solutions are published by trusted public seismic reporting agencies. Because Epicenter relies on published earthquake solutions rather than earthquake early warning infrastructure, it is not an earthquake early-warning system and should not be relied upon for emergency response or life-safety decisions. Epicenter+ Subscription Terms When you purchase an Epicenter+ subscription, payment will be charged to your Apple Account. Your subscription begins with a 30-day free trial. Unless canceled before the trial ends, your subscription will begin automatically and your Apple Account will be charged. Subscriptions are billed automatically at the beginning of each monthly or annual billing period and renew until canceled. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current subscription period. Manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal at any time in Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions on your device or through the App Store. To avoid being charged for the next billing period, auto-renewal must be turned off at least 24 hours before the current period ends. If you cancel, your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period. When your Epicenter+ subscription ends, the app automatically returns to its standard free mode. All billing and refunds are handled by Apple. Epicenter cannot process refunds directly. Refund requests must be submitted to Apple and are granted at Apple's discretion. Privacy Policy: https://seismology.rocks/epicenter Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Solar Weather
Track real-time solar activity and get accurate space weather forecasts. View detailed Sun animations, aurora predictions, and receive push notifications for significant space events. Data is sourced from NOAA and NASA for enthusiasts and the curious.
- Live UV solar animations
- Coronagraph views
- Aurora map and forecast
- Kp index and solar wind data
- Push notifications for space events
- Detailed Sun exploration
- Home and Lock Screen widgets
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Track real-time solar activity and get accurate space weather forecasts with Solar Weather. From Sun animations to aurora predictions — professional observatory data, designed to be easy to read and use. What's happening on the Sun right now? - Live UV solar animations across 7 wavelengths — from surface details to violent flare regions - Coronagraph views: GOES-19 (CCOR-1), LASCO C2 and C3 — watch coronal mass ejections unfold from different distances - Swipe through 24-hour solar animations almost minute by minute — full manual control over Sun, Aurora, and Coronagraph views - Export any animation as a shareable video Will there be an aurora tonight? - Aurora map showing real-time intensity and coverage for both hemispheres - 1-hour aurora visibility forecast based on current solar activity - Kp index: 3-day forecast, 1-week history, and a combined real-time graph - Solar Wind Speed, Magnetic Field Bt & Bz — the key indicators that trigger geomagnetic storms - When Bz goes negative, aurora chances spike — and the app helps you spot it Never miss a space weather event: - Push notifications for Geomagnetic storms, Solar Radiation storms, and Radio Blackouts - Set your own alert thresholds — only get notified for the storm levels that matter to you - Geomagnetic and Radiation storm forecasts up to 3 days ahead - Daily solar activity index (10.7 cm Radio Flux) - Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets with real-time data Explore the Sun in detail: - Hot Flares: the most intense solar eruptions captured in extreme ultraviolet - Solar Corona: the Sun's outer atmosphere — millions of degrees hot, rarely seen up close - Active Regions: areas of powerful magnetic activity where flares and CMEs originate - Transition Zone: the dynamic boundary between the chromosphere and corona - Chromosphere: the Sun's colorful middle layer, visible during eclipses - Surface: sunspots, granulation, and intricate magnetic patterns Built for space enthusiasts, amateur astronomers, and anyone curious about the Sun. Solar Weather pulls data directly from NOAA and NASA to give you an accurate, up-to-date picture of solar activity and its impact on Earth.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Epicenter at Free against Solar Weather's $3.99. Epicenter also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly) and device support (3 vs 1). Solar Weather's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#195 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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
Epicenter is free to download; Solar Weather costs $3.99 up front. Epicenter sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Solar Weather asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Epicenter against 4.4 for Solar Weather. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39 and 28 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 80% and 80% positive.
Epicenter ships an update every 4 days, Solar Weather monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Epicenter | Solar Weather |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 4.4 (39 ratings) — better | 4.4 (28 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | 80.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 39 — better | 28 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #195 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 102 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jess Taylor | Aleksandr Balyberdin |
Customer experience
Epicenter
Solar Weather
In-app purchases
Epicenter
- Epicenter+ Monthly1 Month trial$1.991 Month
- Epicenter+ Annual1 Month trial$9.991 Year
Solar Weather
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Epicenter free?
Is Solar Weather free?
Which has better reviews, Epicenter or Solar Weather?
Do Epicenter or Solar Weather have ads?
Which is updated more often, Epicenter or Solar Weather?
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