Weather & Environment · head to head
Ambient Weather Network vs Weatherstack
Ambient Weather Network
Weather & Environment
Connect your weather station to the cloud
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Weatherstack
Weather & Environment
Real-time weather API trusted by thousands
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- 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.; Weatherstack the free tier allows 100 API calls a month, which is a demo rather than a usable allowance
- They diverge on capability: Ambient Weather Network covers Cloud connectivity, Weatherstack covers Real-time weather.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Ambient Weather Network and Weatherstack actually diverge.
| Attribute | Ambient Weather Network | Weatherstack |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | free | freemium |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | Api |
| Founded | 2003 | 2016 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Weather & Environment).
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 Weatherstack
- Real-time weather
- Historical data
- Forecasts
- Location lookup
- Bulk queries
- REST API
- JSON responses
- HTTPS
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Ambient Weather Network
- Professional Worknot Weatherstack
- Content Creationnot Weatherstack
Weatherstack
- Current weather lookups by location in an applicationnot Ambient Weather Network
- Historical weather data for analysis on the paid tiersnot Ambient Weather Network
- Short and medium range forecastsnot Ambient Weather Network
- Bulk location queries on the higher plansnot 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.
Weatherstack
- The free tier allows 100 API calls a month, which is a demo rather than a usable allowance
- Historical weather data starts at the Standard plan, $9.99 a month for 50,000 calls
- Forecasting is tiered: 7 days from Professional at $49.99 a month and 14 days from Business at $99.99
- Multi-language responses and bulk queries need Professional or above
- Going past the monthly quota incurs overage charges rather than throttling
Pricing, plan by plan
Ambient Weather Network
Free- FreeFree
- Data upload
- Dashboard
- API access
Weatherstack
Free- FreeFree
- 250 calls/month
- Current weather
- Basic data
- Standard$9.99/month
- 50,000 calls/month
- Forecasts
- Historical
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.
Choose Weatherstack if
- You need real-time weather.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Api.
- You also want historical data.
Questions people ask
- Is Ambient Weather Network or Weatherstack better?
- Neither clearly leads. Ambient Weather Network starts at Free and Weatherstack at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Ambient Weather Network or Weatherstack?
- Ambient Weather Network starts at Free and Weatherstack at Free.
- Does Ambient Weather Network or Weatherstack run on more platforms?
- Ambient Weather Network runs on Web, Ios, Android. Weatherstack runs on Api.
- Can I use Ambient Weather Network for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Weatherstack is typically brought in for.
- What can Ambient Weather Network do that Weatherstack cannot?
- Ambient Weather Network covers Cloud connectivity, Real-time data, Historical storage, Alerts. Weatherstack covers Real-time weather, Historical data, Forecasts, Location lookup.