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Software · head to head

OpenWeatherMap vs Tomorrow.io

OpenWeatherMap logo

OpenWeatherMap

Software

Developer-friendly weather API with global coverage

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tomorrow.io logo

Tomorrow.io

Software

Weather intelligence platform for business decisions

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: OpenWeatherMap free tier capped at 60 calls/minute and 1,000,000 calls/month; Tomorrow.io free plan limited to 5-day forecast, 24 hours of historical data, 1 monitored location, and 1 weather alert
  • They diverge on capability: OpenWeatherMap covers Current conditions, Tomorrow.io covers Minute-by-minute forecasts.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenWeatherMap and Tomorrow.io actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenWeatherMap and Tomorrow.io differ
AttributeOpenWeatherMapTomorrow.io
PlatformsWebWeb API
Founded20172016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), 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 OpenWeatherMap

  • Current conditions
  • Forecasts
  • Historical data
  • Weather maps
  • JSON format
  • Widgets

Only in Tomorrow.io

  • Minute-by-minute forecasts
  • Road conditions
  • Air quality
  • Pollen data
  • Webhooks
  • Enterprise systems
  • Ios support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Weather API
  • REST API
  • Api support
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

OpenWeatherMap

  • Embedding current weather and short-term forecasts into third-party apps/websitesnot Tomorrow.io
  • Pulling historical and statistical weather data for researchnot Tomorrow.io
  • Displaying weather map overlays (precipitation, clouds, etc.) via the Weather Maps APInot Tomorrow.io
  • Monitoring air pollution levels via the Air Pollution APInot Tomorrow.io
  • Geocoding locations for weather lookupsnot Tomorrow.io

Tomorrow.io

  • Weather prediction API for operational risk management across industriesnot OpenWeatherMap
  • Industry-specific weather AI agents for insurance, aviation, energy, logistics, and manufacturingnot OpenWeatherMap

Where each one falls short

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

OpenWeatherMap

  • Free tier capped at 60 calls/minute and 1,000,000 calls/month
  • Free tier limited to current weather, 3-hour/5-day forecast, air pollution, 15 map layers, and geocoding only
  • One Call API free allowance is only 1,000 calls/day before pay-per-call charges apply
  • Paid tier (Startup, Developer, Professional, Expert) exact USD prices are not published on the public pricing page

Tomorrow.io

  • Free plan limited to 5-day forecast, 24 hours of historical data, 1 monitored location, and 1 weather alert
  • Premium data layers (air quality, pollen, solar, lightning) available only on Enterprise plans

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenWeatherMap

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 60 calls/min
    • 1,000,000 calls/month
    • current weather, 3-hr/5-day forecast, air pollution, 15 map layers, geocoding

Tomorrow.io

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Tomorrow.io review.

Which should you pick?

Choose OpenWeatherMap if

  • You need current conditions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want forecasts.
OpenWeatherMap review

Choose Tomorrow.io if

  • You need minute-by-minute forecasts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web API.
  • You also want road conditions.
Tomorrow.io review

Questions people ask

Is OpenWeatherMap or Tomorrow.io better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenWeatherMap starts at Free and Tomorrow.io at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenWeatherMap or Tomorrow.io?
OpenWeatherMap starts at Free and Tomorrow.io at Free.
Does OpenWeatherMap or Tomorrow.io run on more platforms?
OpenWeatherMap runs on Web. Tomorrow.io runs on Web API.
Can I use OpenWeatherMap for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is OpenWeatherMap best used for?
OpenWeatherMap is most often used for embedding current weather and short-term forecasts into third-party apps/websites, pulling historical and statistical weather data for research, displaying weather map overlays (precipitation, clouds, etc.) via the weather maps api, monitoring air pollution levels via the air pollution api. Of those, embedding current weather and short-term forecasts into third-party apps/websites and pulling historical and statistical weather data for research are not what Tomorrow.io is typically brought in for.
What can OpenWeatherMap do that Tomorrow.io cannot?
OpenWeatherMap covers Current conditions, Forecasts, Historical data, Weather maps. Tomorrow.io covers Minute-by-minute forecasts, Road conditions, Air quality, Pollen data. Both handle Weather API, REST API, Api support, Web support.
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