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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

WSFA First Alert Weather vs Local Weather Radar & Forecast

WSFA First Alert Weather 4.8★ · Free to download 75
Winner WSFA First Alert Weather
Local Weather Radar & Forecast 4.6★ · Free to download · ⚠ stale 60

WSFA First Alert Weather is the better choice for users prioritizing local news integration and reliable severe weather alerts, despite its ad frequency and occasional radar glitches, while Local Weather Radar & Forecast struggles with persistent bugs and a less intuitive interface.

Full reviews: WSFA First Alert Weather · Local Weather Radar & Forecast

WSFA First Alert Weather (App A) offers strong local weather reporting and timely severe alerts, though users frequently complain about excessive ads and radar inconsistencies. Local Weather Radar & Forecast (App B) is praised for its accuracy and simple interface by some, but many users report significant bugs, especially with radar and traffic features, and issues with location settings.

Head to head

Features and Content edge: WSFA First Alert WeatherR5R8R12R14
WSFA First Alert Weather WSFA First Alert Weather is praised for its comprehensive local weather reports, news integration, and specific weather team expertise R5R8. It provides timely and accurate weather warnings, including tornado alerts R14. However, some users find the content can be too much 'useless info' or not specific enough for their needs, like overnight lows R12.
Local Weather Radar & Forecast Local Weather Radar & Forecast is appreciated for its simple and quick weather updates, with some users finding it very useful and accurate . A key feature for many was its traffic reporting, which is now widely reported as broken . Users also desire more detailed information like humidity and precipitation and a dark mode .
Radar Functionality tieR1R3R13R15
WSFA First Alert Weather Many WSFA First Alert Weather users report significant issues with the radar, including it not working, freezing, not completing a full 24-hour cycle, being inaccurate, or showing a black screen R1R3R13R18. Some users also struggle to see their location on the radar map R15. However, others praise its accuracy and usefulness for severe weather .
Local Weather Radar & Forecast Local Weather Radar & Forecast also faces criticism for its radar functionality, with reports of it not loading, not showing movement over time, being poor, or not working on iPads . Some users find the base map under the radar to be cheap and unhelpful . Conversely, many users find the radar to be great, clear, and easy to use .
Accuracy of Forecasts tieR4R7R11R14
WSFA First Alert Weather WSFA First Alert Weather receives mixed reviews on forecast accuracy. Many users consider it highly accurate and reliable R11R14R26. However, a significant number of users report the daily and hourly forecasts as extremely inaccurate R4R7.
Local Weather Radar & Forecast Local Weather Radar & Forecast also has conflicting feedback regarding accuracy. Some users find it to be very accurate, even more so than other sources . In contrast, others state the forecast is 90% wrong and cannot predict even one day ahead .
Ease of Use and Reliability tieR1R10R18R19
WSFA First Alert Weather WSFA First Alert Weather is criticized for being buggy, slow to load, freezing, and inconsistent R1R10R18. Users report issues with videos not opening and the app blinking constantly R18. Some find notifications to be useless or overly frequent R19. The app also has location issues when traveling .
Local Weather Radar & Forecast Local Weather Radar & Forecast is generally seen as simple and easy to use by some . However, many users report significant bugs, including the app not loading or working at all, especially after updates . A major recurring issue is the inability to remove default locations like NYC, leading to irrelevant alerts . Users also complain about a lack of severe weather notifications .
Price and Value (Ads) edge: Local Weather Radar & ForecastR6R9R10R12
WSFA First Alert Weather WSFA First Alert Weather is a free app, but users frequently complain about an excessive number of intrusive ads, including video ads that take a minute or more to watch, interrupt videos, and make the app feel 'ad first and weather second' R6R9R10R12.
Local Weather Radar & Forecast Local Weather Radar & Forecast is also a free app. While some users appreciate that it keeps things simple without many advertisements , others acknowledge the presence of ads, noting they sometimes obscure the bottom of the screen or that the app is 'overloaded with advertising' . There is a request for a paid, ad-free version .
Pick WSFA First Alert Weather if

you prioritize local news and weather team expertise, need timely severe weather alerts, and are willing to tolerate frequent ads and occasional radar issues.

Pick Local Weather Radar & Forecast if

you prefer a simple interface for basic weather updates, value traffic reporting (if it gets fixed), and are looking for a free app, but be aware of potential bugs and location alert issues.

Evidence note: Both apps are free to download, so the negative reviews for both largely stem from free-tier friction (ads, bugs, feature limitations) rather than paid user dissatisfaction. The lifetime ratings are relatively high for both, but recent reviews indicate a decline in performance and user satisfaction, especially regarding radar functionality and ad intrusion for WSFA, and persistent bugs and broken features for Local Weather Radar & Forecast.

Frequently asked

Do these apps have a free version?
Yes, both WSFA First Alert Weather and Local Weather Radar & Forecast are free to download and use, though both include advertisements R6R9R16R37.
Are the weather forecasts accurate on these apps?
User reviews for both apps are mixed regarding forecast accuracy; WSFA First Alert Weather is called 'never wrong' by some R11R26 but 'extremely inaccurate' by others R4R7, while Local Weather Radar & Forecast is praised for being 'as accurate or more than NWS' but also criticized for being '90% wrong' .
Do these apps have issues with radar functionality?
Yes, both apps have significant reported issues with radar functionality; WSFA First Alert Weather users complain about the radar not working, freezing, or being inaccurate R1R3R13R21, and Local Weather Radar & Forecast users report similar problems with radar not loading or showing movement over time .

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R5] WSFA First Alert Weather 5/5 · US Weather: I think WSFA has the best weather report and news!
  2. [R8] WSFA First Alert Weather 5/5 · US Love WSFA: Great information everyday!
  3. [R12] WSFA First Alert Weather 3/5 · US Too much advertising: Too much useless info
  4. [R14] WSFA First Alert Weather 5/5 · US Best Weather App: Best weather app for Troy. Sends accurate weather warnings. Technical support is very helpful and fast at responding if you ever have any issues. They truly care about the people in my area who depend on them.
  5. [R1] WSFA First Alert Weather 1/5 · US WSFA new weather app is awful: The latest update to the WSFA weather app is terrible! Radar doesn’t work. I am deleting this app because I need a weather app that works.
  6. [R3] WSFA First Alert Weather 3/5 · US 24hr radar: 24hr radar doesn't complete full 24hr cycle. It stops at 12 hours. Sure, I could delete and reinstall, but all my pinned locations would have to be set again. Please fix the best radar available, so I don't have to find another one.
  7. [R13] WSFA First Alert Weather 1/5 · US Can’t watch radar anymore: The app was good until the radar quit working. It only goes about halfway and then it just freezes and you can’t tell where or when the rain’s coming after that or any weather for that matter. My app is up-to-date. It stays up-to-date and this problem persists.
  8. [R15] WSFA First Alert Weather 3/5 · US One big problem: It sure seems like my location was a much more visible dot that the dim transparent blue dot that shows on the map. It is hard to see and nearly impossible to see if clouds or rain is covering it.
  9. [R4] WSFA First Alert Weather 1/5 · US Terrible forecast: I never write reviews but I do not know how this app has such high reviews. I’ve been using this app for years now and the daily and hourly forecast are extremely inaccurate time to switch to a different weather app
  10. [R7] WSFA First Alert Weather 1/5 · US Wsfa weather: I have seen better weather prediction out of a host. Inaccurate, slow to report, and always somehow behind the eight ball. Don't waste your time with this app as long as the same people are forecasting.
  11. [R11] WSFA First Alert Weather 5/5 · US WSFAWEATHER: It’s the best weather app I ever had and it’s never wrong.
  12. [R10] WSFA First Alert Weather 2/5 · US Bugs and adds: I love the Chanel 12 team but this app is terrible.
  13. [R18] WSFA First Alert Weather 3/5 · US Getting worse: The app blinks constantly after it is opened once. You have to completely close and reopen to get the radar to work
  14. [R19] WSFA First Alert Weather 2/5 · US Useless notifications: The purpose of this app is to provide lifesaving information to people. If there’s a tornado or hurricane coming, please tell me. If it’s going to hail or if there’s gale force winds, I want to know about it. But don’t send me a push notification saying it’s going to be warm this week and it might rain.
  15. [R6] WSFA First Alert Weather 3/5 · US Great Weather - Too Many Ads.!: While the app works well, it takes a mini or more of watching video ads to get to the actual forecast. How about banner ads at the bottom.!
  16. [R9] WSFA First Alert Weather 3/5 · US I’d give more stars but…: The ads are garbage. I’m honestly surprised to see them on an app for WSFA (& no they aren’t based on my information). The weather is accurate most of the time though so at least there’s that.
  17. [R16] WSFA First Alert Weather 1/5 · US Too many ads: This app use to be great, but over time it has migrated to being a ad first and weather second. It’s very click baited now.
  18. [R37] WSFA First Alert Weather 1/5 · US Accurate Weather, but those ads…: The many ads drive me crazy, so the app has to go!
  19. [R26] WSFA First Alert Weather 4/5 · US Perfect: They are usually perfectly on point and correct Amazingly accurate 👍👍👍
  20. [R21] WSFA First Alert Weather 3/5 · US Radar: Radar doesn’t work on my phone. I get a black screen when accessing the radar tab. I can remove app the reinstall it. It will work for a day then go back to black screen. All of the other options work great. Weather forecast are good and accurate. Maybe it’s my phone or operating system. I just wish the radar worked I have no problems with other weather apps radar working. Not sure what the

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store