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Weather · head to head

OpenWeatherMap vs WSI (The Weather Company)

OpenWeatherMap logo

OpenWeatherMap

Weather

Developer-friendly weather API with global coverage

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WSI (The Weather Company) logo

WSI (The Weather Company)

Weather

Professional weather solutions for business operations

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OpenWeatherMap has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: OpenWeatherMap free tier capped at 60 calls/minute and 1,000,000 calls/month; WSI (The Weather Company) the Weather Company (which acquired WSI) states on its own site that it no longer owns The Weather Channel TV network, a separate entity from its data/API business (Internet Archive capture, 6 May 2021)
  • They diverge on capability: OpenWeatherMap covers Weather API, WSI (The Weather Company) covers Aviation weather.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenWeatherMap and WSI (The Weather Company) actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenWeatherMap and WSI (The Weather Company) differ
AttributeOpenWeatherMapWSI (The Weather Company)
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Api, Enterprise
Founded20171978

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

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 WSI (The Weather Company)

  • Aviation weather
  • Energy forecasting
  • Media solutions
  • Insurance analytics
  • Precision forecasts
  • Enterprise systems
  • Aviation networks
  • Trading platforms

Both cover

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

WSI (The Weather Company)

  • 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

WSI (The Weather Company)

  • The Weather Company (which acquired WSI) states on its own site that it no longer owns The Weather Channel TV network, a separate entity from its data/API business (Internet Archive capture, 6 May 2021)

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenWeatherMap

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1,000 free API calls per day

WSI (The Weather Company)

On request
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Industry solutions
    • API access
    • Custom analytics

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 WSI (The Weather Company) if

  • You need aviation weather.
  • You work on Web, Api, Enterprise.
  • You also want energy forecasting.
WSI (The Weather Company) review

Questions people ask

Is OpenWeatherMap or WSI (The Weather Company) better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenWeatherMap starts at Free and WSI (The Weather Company) at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenWeatherMap or WSI (The Weather Company)?
OpenWeatherMap has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for OpenWeatherMap and On request for WSI (The Weather Company).
Does OpenWeatherMap or WSI (The Weather Company) run on more platforms?
OpenWeatherMap runs on Web. WSI (The Weather Company) runs on Web, Api, Enterprise.
Can I use OpenWeatherMap for free?
Yes. OpenWeatherMap has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. WSI (The Weather Company) starts at On request.
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 WSI (The Weather Company) is typically brought in for.
What can OpenWeatherMap do that WSI (The Weather Company) cannot?
OpenWeatherMap covers Weather API, Current conditions, Forecasts, Historical data. WSI (The Weather Company) covers Aviation weather, Energy forecasting, Media solutions, Insurance analytics. Both handle Api support, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OpenWeatherMap: How much does OpenWeatherMap cost?

OpenWeatherMap operates on a pay-as-you-call usage-based pricing model. The platform offers a free tier with 1,000 API calls per day, and customers can purchase additional calls based on their needs.

Source
WSI (The Weather Company): What does the Weather Company API free trial include?

The free trial lasts 30 days and includes 50,000 API calls per day at a rate of 100 calls per minute. This is limited to enterprise customers only.

Source
OpenWeatherMap: Is there a free weather API service?

Yes. OpenWeatherMap provides a free tier that includes up to 1,000 API calls per day. Users can subscribe for free at home.openweathermap.org without providing payment information.

Source
WSI (The Weather Company): What is the pricing for standard Weather Company API access?

The Standard Plan costs $500 USD per month, billed annually, and includes 1 million API calls per month with access to current conditions, forecasts, lifestyle indices, alerts, and weather imagery.

Source
OpenWeatherMap: Does OpenWeatherMap offer enterprise plans?

OpenWeatherMap offers separate service tiers for enterprise customers, with pricing and features determined on a case-by-case basis. Contact the company directly for enterprise plan details and custom pricing.

Source
WSI (The Weather Company): Do airlines get special pricing on Weather Company APIs?

Yes, major airlines are required to enroll in a custom Enterprise plan with pricing determined by agreement rather than the standard pricing tiers.

Source
WSI (The Weather Company): Are extra weather features like historical records available, and how much do they cost?

Extra features including probabilistic forecasts, lightning data, and historical records are available, but require contacting sales for custom pricing. Dedicated account management is also offered as an optional add-on.

Source
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