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Ambient Weather Network vs Planet Labs

Ambient Weather Network logo

Ambient Weather Network

Software

Connect your weather station to the cloud

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Planet Labs logo

Planet Labs

Software

Daily satellite imagery for environmental monitoring

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ambient Weather Network has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ambient Weather Network the App Store listing states the Ambient Weather Network app requires iOS 14.1 or later, and the underlying station apps (awnet, AmbientTool) are tied to specific discontinued hardware models.; Planet Labs planet publishes no price for its monitoring subscriptions: no rate per square kilometre, no minimum area and no commitment length appears on the product page
  • They diverge on capability: Ambient Weather Network covers Cloud connectivity, Planet Labs covers Daily satellite imagery.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ambient Weather Network and Planet Labs actually diverge.

Attributes where Ambient Weather Network and Planet Labs differ
AttributeAmbient Weather NetworkPlanet Labs
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Api
Founded20032010

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Ambient Weather Network

  • Cloud connectivity
  • Real-time data
  • Historical storage
  • Alerts
  • Public sharing
  • Alexa
  • Google Home
  • IFTTT

Only in Planet Labs

  • Daily satellite imagery
  • Change detection
  • Agriculture monitoring
  • Forest tracking
  • Climate data
  • API access
  • GIS platforms
  • Cloud services

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Ambient Weather Network

  • Professional Worknot Planet Labs
  • Content Creationnot Planet Labs

Planet Labs

  • Daily satellite imagery monitoring of a defined area of interestnot Ambient Weather Network
  • Detecting change in land use, agriculture and infrastructure over timenot Ambient Weather Network
  • Feeding satellite imagery into analytics and machine learning pipelinesnot Ambient Weather Network

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Ambient Weather Network

  • The App Store listing states the Ambient Weather Network app requires iOS 14.1 or later, and the underlying station apps (awnet, AmbientTool) are tied to specific discontinued hardware models.

Planet Labs

  • Planet publishes no price for its monitoring subscriptions: no rate per square kilometre, no minimum area and no commitment length appears on the product page
  • Access is sold only through a subscription scaled by sales to the customer's stated needs, so there is no self service purchase
  • Every pricing route on the page is a contact sales button

Pricing, plan by plan

Ambient Weather Network

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Data upload
    • Dashboard
    • API access

Planet Labs

On request
  • ExplorerFree
    • Limited imagery
    • Basic tools
    • Entry tier
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Full archive
    • API access
    • Custom analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Ambient Weather Network if

  • You need cloud connectivity.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want real-time data.
Ambient Weather Network review

Choose Planet Labs if

  • You need daily satellite imagery.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want change detection.
Planet Labs review

Questions people ask

Is Ambient Weather Network or Planet Labs better?
Neither clearly leads. Ambient Weather Network starts at Free and Planet Labs at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ambient Weather Network or Planet Labs?
Ambient Weather Network has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ambient Weather Network and On request for Planet Labs.
Does Ambient Weather Network or Planet Labs run on more platforms?
Ambient Weather Network runs on Web, Ios, Android. Planet Labs runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Ambient Weather Network for free?
Yes. Ambient Weather Network has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Planet Labs starts at On request.
What is Ambient Weather Network best used for?
Ambient Weather Network is most often used for professional work, content creation. Of those, professional work and content creation are not what Planet Labs is typically brought in for.
What can Ambient Weather Network do that Planet Labs cannot?
Ambient Weather Network covers Cloud connectivity, Real-time data, Historical storage, Alerts. Planet Labs covers Daily satellite imagery, Change detection, Agriculture monitoring, Forest tracking. Both handle Web support.
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