Report updated May 20, 2026
EPA's SunWise UV Index
For outdoor enthusiasts and individuals seeking health-related sun exposure information.
EPA's SunWise UV Index is an established weather app that is completely free. With a 3.1/5 rating from 67 reviews, it shows polarized user reception.
What is EPA's SunWise UV Index?
EPA's SunWise UV Index is a weather-utility app providing localized UV radiation forecasts and sun safety tips for outdoor enthusiasts.
Users hire the app to mitigate long-term skin health risks through authoritative, government-verified solar intensity data, so the app must maintain high trust to remain relevant.
Current Momentum
v7.0 · 41mo ago
Zombie- No major feature updates since 2022.
- Static utility model persists.
Active Nemesis
Air Matters
By Air Matters Network Pty
Other Rivals
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What makes this app unique?
What Does It Look Like?
What Are The Key Features?
Provides localized UV radiation intensity data based on user location
Provides actionable guidance on protective measures including clothing, sunscreen, and accessories
Automated retrieval of UV intensity data based on current user location
How much does it cost?
- Free
Public service utility provided by government agencies with no monetization or paid tiers.
Who Built It?
Providing official, government-sourced air quality data to help the public manage health-related exposure.
Portfolio
2
Apps
What other apps does United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) make?
Explore the full United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) report
Portfolio breakdown, audience, momentum, and every app published by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
What do users think recently?
Analysis in progress, available soon
View the full user-sentiment analysis
Mood gauge, ratings & review-volume history, every praise / complaint / request, and sentiment over time.
What is the competitive landscape for EPA's SunWise UV Index?
Where is it available?
Localized markets (1)
How's The Weather Market?
Market outlook for this category
Available very soon
Which niche is EPA's SunWise UV Index in?
Explore the full Weather Monitors niche
Every app in this space — 38 tracked, the niche's live rankings, and Marlvel's editorial take on the job-to-be-done.
The rivals identified
Nemeses(1)
Air Matters competes directly by providing environmental health data, shifting the focus from UV radiation to broader air quality metrics that influence outdoor safety decisions.
Differentiators
- Integrates directly with consumer hardware sensors for real-time, hyper-local air quality monitoring data
- Maintains a massive global data API that provides consistent, reliable coverage across international markets
- Offers a significantly more mature ecosystem with over 4,000 reviews compared to the target's limited footprint
Head to head
The target must leverage its government-backed authority to build unique, high-trust content modules that Air Matters cannot replicate.
Contenders(4)
SkyGuard competes by offering professional-grade, asset-specific weather warnings that overlap with the target's goal of protecting users from environmental hazards.
Differentiators
- Provides professional-grade, asset-specific weather warnings that go beyond simple UV index forecasting
- Features advanced 360-degree lightning tracking capabilities for comprehensive outdoor safety management
This app competes for the same user base interested in localized, real-time weather forecasting and severe weather preparedness.
Differentiators
- Utilizes high-resolution radar imagery to provide superior visual context for incoming weather events
- Implements dynamic, location-aware forecasting that updates more frequently than the target's static UV data
My PurpleAir competes by offering hyper-local environmental monitoring, appealing to users who want granular control over their immediate surroundings.
Differentiators
- Enables seamless cross-device data synchronization for monitoring environmental conditions across multiple locations
- Provides native home screen and watch face widgets for instant, glanceable access to sensor data
This app is a direct functional competitor, focusing specifically on solar radiation and sun-related health protection.
Differentiators
- Features an automatic early warning system that proactively alerts users to dangerous solar conditions
- Includes a specialized solar plasma monitor for users requiring advanced scientific environmental data
Same space(3)
This app occupies the same weather-utility space, focusing on severe weather alerts and radar visualization.
Differentiators
- Integrates the proprietary Baron Tornado Index for specialized, high-stakes severe weather risk assessment
- Provides HD dual live Doppler radar feeds for superior storm tracking and visual accuracy
WRBL Weather competes by providing comprehensive, localized weather reporting that includes UV-adjacent safety information.
Differentiators
- Offers a highly interactive live radar interface that allows users to track weather patterns
- Delivers consistent, hour-by-hour forecast updates that keep users informed throughout the entire day
This app competes for the attention of users seeking regional weather updates and safety alerts.
Differentiators
- Utilizes live VIPIR radar technology to provide localized, high-fidelity weather visualization for users
- Focuses on rapid delivery of severe weather alerts to ensure user safety during emergencies
Compare EPA's SunWise UV Index against every rival
All rivals in one side-by-side table — identity, store metrics, ratings & sentiment, and strategic intel — plus a head-to-head page for each.
The outtake for EPA's SunWise UV Index
Strengths to defend, gaps to attack
Core Strengths
- Authoritative scientific credibility via EPA backing sustains high-trust brand positioning
- Focus on UV-specific health risks provides a cleaner, non-commercial UX for sun-safety planning
Critical Frictions
- 3.13 rating on 67 reviews indicates poor user satisfaction with the current interface
- Lack of home screen widgets limits utility for daily, glanceable usage
Growth Levers
- Integration of wearable-device complications could capture the watch-face-utility segment
- Partnerships with outdoor-retailer apps could expand B2B distribution
Market Threats
- Real-time sensor integration in rival apps renders static forecasts obsolete
- High-frequency update cadence in competitor apps erodes the target's relevance
What are the next best moves?
Ship home screen widgets because lack of glanceable data is a primary utility gap → increase daily active usage
Competitors like My PurpleAir utilize widgets to capture daily utility, while this app lacks them.
Trade-off: Deprioritize the UI redesign of the safety-tips menu — widget utility has higher impact on retention.
A counter-intuitive read
The app's government-backed status is a liability, not an asset, because it prevents the rapid, iterative feature updates required to compete with agile, sensor-integrated weather utilities.
Feature Gaps vs Competitors
- Real-time sensor hardware integration (available in Air Matters)
- Home screen and watch face widgets (available in My PurpleAir)
- High-resolution radar imagery (available in Post Bulletin StormTRACKER)
Key Takeaways
The app maintains scientific authority but fails to meet modern utility standards, so the PM should prioritize native widget integration to prevent further churn to sensor-integrated rivals.
Where Is It Heading?
Declining
The weather-utility market is shifting toward real-time, hardware-integrated data that provides immediate, glanceable value. This app remains anchored in static, text-based reporting, which will likely lead to further erosion of its user base as competitors continue to innovate on wearable and widget-based interfaces.
The lack of feature updates since 2022 suggests a maintenance-only posture, which allows competitors to capture utility-seeking users through superior hardware integration.
The 3.13 rating indicates that the current interface fails to meet user expectations, which compounds the risk of losing market share to high-frequency competitors.