Comparison
How HookEcho compares
Five apps people actually use, and the rows where each of them beats us. If you want the best global model data, use Windy. If you want the most polished phone app, buy RadarScope. If you want every Level 2 product, the full archive and no bill, keep reading.
| Feature | HookEcho | RadarScope | MyRadar | Windy | RadarOmega | Clime / RainViewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Yes Free, MIT licensed | Partly Paid app, subscription tiers | Partly Free with ads, subscription | Partly Free, optional Premium | Partly Paid app, subscription add-ons | Partly Free trial, subscription |
| Ads | Yes None | Yes None | No Unless you subscribe | Yes None | Yes None | No Yes |
| Account required | Yes Never | Partly For the paid tiers | Partly For the paid tier | Yes Optional | Partly For the subscription | Partly For the paid tier |
| Open source | Yes Every line | No | No | No | No | No |
| Level 2, every tilt | Yes All elevations, full resolution | Yes All elevations | No Mosaic imagery | No Composite only | Yes All elevations | No Mosaic imagery |
| Dual-pol products | Yes ZDR, CC, KDP, ΦDP | Yes Full set | No | No | Yes Full set | No |
| Velocity and dealiasing | Yes With storm-relative | Yes With storm-relative | No | No | Yes With storm-relative | No |
| National MRMS mosaic | Yes Full resolution | Partly Paid tier | Yes | Yes Composite | Yes | Yes |
| Lightning | Yes GOES GLM | Partly Paid tier | Partly Paid tier | Yes | Partly Paid add-on | Partly Paid tier |
| Forecast models | Partly HRRR, NAM, soundings | No | Partly Limited | Yes The best in the field | Partly Paid add-on | No |
| Tropical tracks | Yes NHC cones and advisories | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Archive playback | Yes Back to 1991 | Partly Paid tier, recent only | No | No | Partly Paid add-on, recent only | No |
| Works offline | Yes Chase packs, prefetched | No | No | No | No | No |
| Coverage outside the US | Partly US plus German DWD radar | Partly Several countries | Partly Mostly US | Yes Global | Partly Several countries | Yes Global |
| Runs in a browser | Yes The whole app, no install | No | Partly Cut-down web view | Yes Web first | No | No |
| iPhone and iPad | No Not yet | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes Windows, macOS, Linux | Partly Windows, macOS | Partly Windows | No | Partly Windows | No |
| Mobile polish | Partly Android only, and younger | Yes The bar everyone measures against | Yes | Yes | Yes Deep, and heavily configurable | Yes |
| Telemetry | Yes None, at all | No Analytics | No Ads and analytics | No Analytics | No Analytics | No Ads and analytics |
Verified August 2026, from each product's own pricing and feature pages. Tiers and prices move; if a row here is wrong, tell us and it gets fixed.
One at a time
- HookEcho vs RadarScope The chaser standard, and the app HookEcho is measured against most often.
- HookEcho vs MyRadar The popular free radar app, paid for with ads.
- HookEcho vs Windy The best model visualisation on the web. Its radar is the weak part.
- HookEcho vs RainViewer Global rain mosaics on a subscription. Clime is the same shape of product.
- HookEcho vs RadarOmega The other serious Level 2 viewer, sold as an app plus add-on packs.
What we are actually claiming
HookEcho is a chaser-grade radar viewer that reads the same public NOAA feeds the professional apps read, gives away the products they charge for, and never asks for an account. It is younger than the apps above, there is no iPhone build yet, and Windy's model data is better than ours. Those are the trades.