Honest comparison
Sensecast vs MyRadar.
Both apps live on live radar, but they answer different questions. MyRadar answers what does the sky look like right now. Sensecast answers that too — then which forecast do I trust, and what is it doing to my house.
Written by the Sensecast team. MyRadar's pricing changes — check their store listing for the current number.
Where MyRadar is strong
- Radar first, nothing in the way. MyRadar opens on the radar map. If the job is "is rain about to reach me", it is the most direct surface in the category — one gesture and you have the answer.
- Proven at scale. It is one of the most-installed weather apps in the stores, stable and refined after more than a decade of updates.
- Everywhere you look. Phone, watch, TV and web — the layer picker pattern it popularised covers hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes and air quality on the same map.
Where Sensecast wins
- The forecast has a name on it. MyRadar shows one blended pipeline. Sensecast names the agency behind every number on the card — 18 forecast sources you can pick or compare side by side, including the ECMWF, HRRR and ICON supercomputers with Pro.
- Your grid, not just your sky. County-level power outage counts from the Department of Energy's ODIN feed, a weather risk score for the local lines, and your utility's outage hotline one tap away. MyRadar overlays outages on the map; Sensecast tells you how many customers are out and who to call.
- It explains the numbers. Every metric opens a three-layer explanation — the sensation analogy, the safety scale, then the physics. MyRadar shows the layer; Sensecast teaches it.
- Free means free. No account, no ads, 15 sources. MyRadar's free tier is ad-supported.
- Evidence when it matters. Storm verification reports with a checkable reference ID for insurance claims — nothing like it in MyRadar.
- One payment is an option. A $99.99 Lifetime Pass sits beside the subscriptions; MyRadar's Pro is subscription-only.
Side by side
| Sensecast | MyRadar | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Full app · no account · no ads | Ad-supported |
| Paid | $4.99/mo · $29.99/yr · $99.99 once | Subscription — see their listing |
| Forecast sources | 18 | One blended pipeline |
| Source named on the card | Yes | — |
| Multi-model comparison | Yes — ECMWF · HRRR · ICON | — |
| Live Doppler radar | Yes — dBZ legend + nowcast | Yes — its home screen |
| Power outages | County counts + grid risk + hotlines | Map layer |
| Learns the science with you | 43 | — |
| Storm reports for claims | Yes — verifiable Ref ID | — |
| Lifetime purchase | $99.99 | — |
Questions
Is Sensecast a good MyRadar alternative?
If what you open MyRadar for is the radar map, Sensecast's live Doppler radar does the same job — and adds the forecast around it. If you only ever wanted the radar picture, MyRadar's single-purpose surface is still the most direct.
What does Sensecast do that MyRadar doesn't?
It names the forecast source on every card and lets you switch or compare providers, tracks county outages with utility hotlines, teaches each metric in the academy, generates verifiable storm reports, and shows no ads in its free tier.
Does Sensecast show ads like MyRadar's free tier?
No. The free tier is the full app with 15 forecast sources and no advertising — paid upgrades are optional Pro subscriptions or a one-time Lifetime Pass.