Basic vs Premium
Radar is free to install. Basic is free to use with no subscription (with ads) — and a Premium subscription removes the ads and adds web-powered extras on top. Your first month of Premium is free. All tiers include full encryption and privacy.
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Free
Basic
No subscription
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Subscription
Premium
£1.99 / month · 1st month free
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| 💬 Messaging | ||
| Receive messages from anyoneIncluding first-contact inbound chats | ✔ | ✔ |
| Reply to existing chats | ✔ | ✔ |
| Start a chat with a new contactInitiate first contact with a peer you haven't spoken to before | ✕ | ✔ |
| Voice & video calls with new contactsRadar-to-Radar calls with peers who aren't yet friends or in direct range. Calls with existing friends are free | Friends only | ✔ |
| Group messaging | ✔ | ✔ |
| End-to-end encryption (all messages) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Emoji reactions | ✔ | ✔ |
| Read receipts & typing indicators | ✔ | ✔ |
| Delete for me / Delete for everyone | ✔ | ✔ |
| Pin messages | ✔ | ✔ |
| SMS & MMS integration | ✔ | ✔ |
| Matrix federated chat | ✔ | ✔ |
| 📶 Connectivity & Delivery | ||
| Bluetooth LE (BLE) delivery | ✔ | ✔ |
| Wi-Fi Aware (peer-to-peer) delivery | ✔ | ✔ |
| LAN / Ethernet delivery | ✔ | ✔ |
| Internet web relay | ✔ | ✔ |
| Offline mesh networkingStore-and-forward relay across up to 5 hops without internet | ✔ | ✔ |
| 🗺️ Radar Map | ||
| Nearby Radar contacts on map | ✔ | ✔ |
| BLE & Wi-Fi Aware peers on map | ✔ | ✔ |
| Live earthquake layer on mapSeismic regions from the Radar data service. Basic still gets earthquakes via the built-in curated feeds below | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| Points of interest (POI)Basic: taps open in Google Maps | Basic | ✔ Rich details |
| Live aircraft on map (OpenSky)Real-time flight positions | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| WiGLE Wi-Fi AP lookup on mapCrowd-sourced Wi-Fi access points near you | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| Live vessels on map (AIS)Real-time ship and boat positions | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| Wildfire hotspots on map (NASA FIRMS)Satellite-detected active fires, refreshed daily | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| Business & phone-number POIsContact details, phone icons and one-tap calling on map points of interest | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| Webcams on mapLive public camera locations | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| UK flood areas & weather warningsUK only — flood warning areas and Met Office severe weather warnings | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| UK crime dataUK only — recorded crime data shown on the map | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| UK air pollution dataUK only — local air-quality readings on the map | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| 🔒 Privacy & Security | ||
| Sealed-sender encryption | ✔ | ✔ |
| Encrypted local database (SQLCipher) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Pseudonymous identity (UUID only)No email or phone number required | ✔ | ✔ |
| Auto-deletion of relayed messagesServer purges within 7 days or on confirmed receipt | ✔ | ✔ |
| No adsFree tier shows Google AdMob ads; Premium removes them | ✕ | ✔ |
| 🆘 Emergency Features | ||
| SOS broadcast to all reachable peersSends GPS coordinates across all channels simultaneously | ✔ | ✔ |
| 💬 Support | ||
| In-app support request | ✔ | ✔ |
| Priority support response | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| 📡 Live Feeds & Alerts | ||
| Built-in curated feedsEarthquakes, wildfires, floods, cyclones and volcanoes on the map | ✔ | ✔ |
| GeoRSS feedsGeographic RSS & Geo-Atom — coordinates auto-pinned to map | ✔ | ✔ |
| CAP alert feedsCommon Alerting Protocol — official government & agency warnings worldwide | Basic | ✔ Full catalog |
| GeoJSON feedsStructured geographic data — boundaries, disaster zones, conflict areas | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| RSS / news intelligence feedsAviation incidents, cyber threats, disease outbreaks, conflict news | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| Full feed catalog (250+ feeds)50+ countries · 12 hazard categories · all 5 feed formats | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| Add custom feed URLsPoint Radar at any GeoRSS, CAP, GeoJSON or RSS endpoint | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| Per-feed enable / disable & refresh intervalGranular control over which feeds run and how often | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
| CAP polygon overlays on mapHazard zone polygons drawn directly on the Radar map | ✕ | ✔ Premium |
Ready to go Premium?
Upgrade in the app under Settings → Upgrade (Go Premium!) to unlock new-contact messaging, live aircraft & Wi-Fi AP map layers, and rich POI details — all for less than a coffee a month.
⭐ Get Radar → Available on Google Play · Cancel anytime via your Play Store subscription settingsFrequently Asked Questions
Is Radar free, or do I have to pay?
Radar is free to install from Google Play, and the Basic tier is free to use with no subscription — it shows ads. An optional Premium subscription (£1.99/month, first month free) removes the ads and adds web-powered extras. Premium is the only recurring charge, and there is no charge for the app itself.
What's the difference between Basic and Premium?
Basic (no subscription) gives you the full offline experience — the radar map, encrypted messaging, mesh networking, and emergency SOS. Premium adds the web-powered services: live aircraft, crowd-sourced Wi-Fi data, rich points-of-interest detail, the full catalog of live data feeds, and the ability to initiate chats with brand-new contacts.
Can I receive messages without a Premium subscription?
Yes — always. Receiving messages (including first-contact messages from new peers) and replying to any existing chat are included in Basic with no subscription. Premium is only required to initiate a chat with someone you've never spoken to before.
Is my encryption or privacy affected by my subscription tier?
No. All messages are end-to-end encrypted using the sealed-sender design regardless of tier. The local database is encrypted on both Basic and Premium. Your identity is pseudonymous (UUID only) on both tiers. Subscription tier has no effect on any security or privacy feature.
What happens if my subscription lapses?
You'll revert to Basic tier. You can still receive and reply to all existing chats. Map layers requiring Premium (aircraft, WiGLE Wi-Fi APs) will be hidden, and starting new chats with contacts will require resubscribing.
How do I cancel?
Via Google Play: Google Play → Subscriptions → Radar Premium → Cancel. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period; you retain Premium access until then.
Are more Premium features coming?
Yes. The roadmap includes large file transfers over LAN, offline map tile caching, and disappearing messages. Premium subscribers get access to new features as they ship.