Softwr

Weather & Environment · head to head

Carrot Weather vs Weather.gov

Carrot Weather logo

Carrot Weather

Weather & Environment

Hilariously accurate weather app with personality

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Weather.gov logo

Weather.gov

Weather & Environment

Official U.S. National Weather Service forecasts

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Carrot Weather most advanced weather data sources (AccuWeather, The Weather Channel, Aeris Weather, Netatmo personal stations) and map layers (lightning, alerts, wind, humidity, dew point, snow depth) are locked behind paid Premium/Ultrapremium Club subscriptions, not included in the base app; Weather.gov no official mobile app, requiring users to access through browser or shortcuts
  • They diverge on capability: Carrot Weather covers Personality modes, Weather.gov covers Official forecasts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Carrot Weather and Weather.gov actually diverge.

Attributes where Carrot Weather and Weather.gov differ
AttributeCarrot WeatherWeather.gov
Pricing modelUnknownfree
PlatformsiOS, Android, macOSWeb
CategoryUnknownWeather & Environment
Founded20131870

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Carrot Weather

  • Personality modes
  • Multiple data sources
  • Custom layouts
  • Secret locations
  • Snarky commentary
  • Apple Watch
  • Siri shortcuts
  • Widgets

Only in Weather.gov

  • Official forecasts
  • Severe weather warnings
  • Radar imagery
  • Marine forecasts
  • Aviation weather
  • API access
  • Data feeds
  • Alert systems

What people use each for

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

Carrot Weather

  • Checking current, hourly, and daily weather forecasts with a humorous AI personalitynot Weather.gov
  • Viewing radar, storm cell, and weather alert mapsnot Weather.gov
  • Receiving push notifications for rain, lightning, or storm cells (premium)not Weather.gov
  • Tracking historical weather data (up to 70 years back) or long-range forecasts via the 'weather time machine' featurenot Weather.gov
  • Using Apple Watch complications/widgets for at-a-glance forecastsnot Weather.gov

Weather.gov

  • Professional Worknot Carrot Weather
  • Content Creationnot Carrot Weather

Where each one falls short

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

Carrot Weather

  • Most advanced weather data sources (AccuWeather, The Weather Channel, Aeris Weather, Netatmo personal stations) and map layers (lightning, alerts, wind, humidity, dew point, snow depth) are locked behind paid Premium/Ultrapremium Club subscriptions, not included in the base app
  • Background Apple Watch updates for premium data sources require an active subscription
  • Pricing for named tiers (Premium Club, Premium Ultra, Premium Family) is disclosed only via in-app purchase screens rather than a public pricing page with fixed dollar figures
  • Mac App Store listing shows a separate $14.99 one-time purchase price for macOS, a different pricing model than the free-to-download iOS/Android version

Weather.gov

  • No official mobile app, requiring users to access through browser or shortcuts
  • No push notifications for weather alerts
  • Outdated user interface compared to commercial alternatives
  • Mobile website has been decommissioned with no dedicated mobile experience

Pricing, plan by plan

Carrot Weather

Free
  • Premium Club$undefined/mo
    • Additional data sources and map layers
  • Ultrapremium Club$undefined/mo
    • Full data sources, map layers, notifications
  • Premium Family$undefined/mo
    • Shares Premium/Ultrapremium across up to 5 family members

Weather.gov

Free
  • FreeFree
    • All forecasts
    • Severe weather alerts
    • Radar data

Which should you pick?

Choose Carrot Weather if

  • You need personality modes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, macOS.
  • You also want multiple data sources.
Carrot Weather review

Choose Weather.gov if

  • You need official forecasts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want severe weather warnings.
Weather.gov review

Questions people ask

Is Carrot Weather or Weather.gov better?
Neither clearly leads. Carrot Weather starts at Free and Weather.gov at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Carrot Weather or Weather.gov?
Carrot Weather starts at Free and Weather.gov at Free.
Does Carrot Weather or Weather.gov run on more platforms?
Carrot Weather runs on iOS, Android, macOS. Weather.gov runs on Web.
Can I use Carrot Weather for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Carrot Weather best used for?
Carrot Weather is most often used for checking current, hourly, and daily weather forecasts with a humorous ai personality, viewing radar, storm cell, and weather alert maps, receiving push notifications for rain, lightning, or storm cells (premium), tracking historical weather data (up to 70 years back) or long-range forecasts via the 'weather time machine' feature. Of those, checking current, hourly, and daily weather forecasts with a humorous ai personality and viewing radar, storm cell, and weather alert maps are not what Weather.gov is typically brought in for.
What can Carrot Weather do that Weather.gov cannot?
Carrot Weather covers Personality modes, Multiple data sources, Custom layouts, Secret locations. Weather.gov covers Official forecasts, Severe weather warnings, Radar imagery, Marine forecasts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Weather.gov: Does Weather.gov have a mobile app?

No. The National Weather Service does not provide an official mobile app. Users can access weather.gov through a mobile browser or create a home screen shortcut, but there is no dedicated app for push notifications or offline access.

Source
Weather.gov: Is Weather.gov free?

Yes. Weather.gov and its public API at api.weather.gov are completely free to use with no subscription fees. The API only requires a User-Agent header identification and serves weather data at no cost.

Source
Weather.gov: What data formats does Weather.gov API support?

The API supports multiple formats including GeoJSON (default), JSON-LD, DWML, OXML, CAP (Common Alerting Protocol), and ATOM, allowing developers to integrate weather data into various applications.

Source
Weather.gov: Can I get detailed forecast data beyond basic predictions?

Yes. Weather.gov provides gridpoint endpoints with 12-hour and hourly forecast periods, raw forecast data at approximately 2.5km resolution, current observations from weather stations, and detailed alerts with state, county, and zone filtering.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Carrot Weather

More on Weather.gov

Keep looking

Other head to heads