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Weather & Environment · head to head

OpenWeatherMap vs Weather Underground

OpenWeatherMap logo

OpenWeatherMap

Weather & Environment

Developer-friendly weather API with global coverage

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Weather Underground logo

Weather Underground

Weather & Environment

Crowdsourced hyperlocal weather from personal stations

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; Weather Underground free public API discontinued as of December 31, 2018 with no new developer accounts accepted
  • They diverge on capability: OpenWeatherMap covers Weather API, Weather Underground covers Personal weather stations.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenWeatherMap and Weather Underground actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenWeatherMap and Weather Underground differ
AttributeOpenWeatherMapWeather Underground
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile web, Personal Weather Station network
Founded20172003

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 OpenWeatherMap

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

Only in Weather Underground

  • Personal weather stations
  • Hyperlocal data
  • Historical records
  • Webcams
  • Community forums
  • PWS networks
  • Smart home
  • APIs

Both cover

  • 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 Weather Underground
  • Pulling historical and statistical weather data for researchnot Weather Underground
  • Displaying weather map overlays (precipitation, clouds, etc.) via the Weather Maps APInot Weather Underground
  • Monitoring air pollution levels via the Air Pollution APInot Weather Underground
  • Geocoding locations for weather lookupsnot Weather Underground

Weather Underground

  • Professional Worknot OpenWeatherMap
  • Content Creationnot 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

Weather Underground

  • Free public API discontinued as of December 31, 2018 with no new developer accounts accepted
  • Previous enterprise pricing was expensive at $150/month for Cumulus Drizzle plan
  • No longer competitive for developers needing reliable weather API access
  • Service is in wind-down phase with limited future development

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

Weather Underground

Free
  • FreeFree
    • PWS data access
    • Forecasts
    • Historical data
  • Ad-Free$1.99/month
    • No advertisements
    • Premium features

Which should you pick?

Choose OpenWeatherMap if

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

Choose Weather Underground if

  • You need personal weather stations.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile web, Personal Weather Station network.
  • You also want hyperlocal data.
Weather Underground review

Questions people ask

Is OpenWeatherMap or Weather Underground better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenWeatherMap starts at Free and Weather Underground at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenWeatherMap or Weather Underground?
OpenWeatherMap starts at Free and Weather Underground at Free.
Does OpenWeatherMap or Weather Underground run on more platforms?
OpenWeatherMap runs on Web. Weather Underground runs on Web, Mobile web, Personal Weather Station network.
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 Weather Underground is typically brought in for.
What can OpenWeatherMap do that Weather Underground cannot?
OpenWeatherMap covers Weather API, Current conditions, Forecasts, Historical data. Weather Underground covers Personal weather stations, Hyperlocal data, Historical records, Webcams. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Weather Underground: What happened to the Weather Underground API?

The free public API was discontinued on December 31, 2018, after IBM acquired The Weather Company. The service is now in a wind-down phase with no new developer accounts accepted.

Source
Weather Underground: Can I still use Weather Underground's data?

Free API keys are still available for Personal Weather Station (PWS) owners who upload data to the network. General developers need to migrate to alternative weather API providers.

Source
Weather Underground: What was the pricing for Weather Underground's Cumulus plans?

The Cumulus Drizzle plan cost $150/month, which many developers found prohibitively expensive for weather data compared to modern alternatives.

Source
Weather Underground: Does Weather Underground still offer a consumer-facing service?

Yes. The consumer website continues to provide weather forecasts, news, alerts, and access to personal weather station data through the PWS network.

Source
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Related pages

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