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Software · head to head

Planet Labs vs AirVisual

Planet Labs logo

Planet Labs

Software

Daily satellite imagery for environmental monitoring

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
AirVisual logo

AirVisual

Software

World's largest air quality information platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only AirVisual has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Planet Labs planet publishes no price for its monitoring subscriptions: no rate per square kilometre, no minimum area and no commitment length appears on the product page; AirVisual outdoor readings depend on nearby government or crowdsourced monitors, so accuracy varies with local coverage
  • They diverge on capability: Planet Labs covers Daily satellite imagery, AirVisual covers Global AQI coverage.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Planet Labs and AirVisual actually diverge.

Attributes where Planet Labs and AirVisual differ
AttributePlanet LabsAirVisual
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, ApiIos, Android, Web
Founded20102015

Identical on both: 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 Planet Labs

  • Daily satellite imagery
  • Change detection
  • Agriculture monitoring
  • Forest tracking
  • Climate data
  • API access
  • GIS platforms
  • Cloud services

Only in AirVisual

  • Global AQI coverage
  • 3-day forecasts
  • Health recommendations
  • City rankings
  • Historical data
  • Widgets
  • Apple Watch
  • Smart displays

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Planet Labs

  • Daily satellite imagery monitoring of a defined area of interestnot AirVisual
  • Detecting change in land use, agriculture and infrastructure over timenot AirVisual
  • Feeding satellite imagery into analytics and machine learning pipelinesnot AirVisual

AirVisual

  • Checking local air quality and PM2.5 levelsnot Planet Labs
  • Seven day air quality forecastsnot Planet Labs
  • Health guidance based on current pollutionnot Planet Labs
  • Comparing indoor and outdoor air with an IQAir monitornot Planet Labs

Where each one falls short

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

Planet Labs

  • Planet publishes no price for its monitoring subscriptions: no rate per square kilometre, no minimum area and no commitment length appears on the product page
  • Access is sold only through a subscription scaled by sales to the customer's stated needs, so there is no self service purchase
  • Every pricing route on the page is a contact sales button

AirVisual

  • Outdoor readings depend on nearby government or crowdsourced monitors, so accuracy varies with local coverage
  • Indoor measurement needs an IQAir AirVisual monitor bought separately
  • The app pages do not state what, if anything, costs money

Pricing, plan by plan

Planet Labs

On request
  • ExplorerFree
    • Limited imagery
    • Basic tools
    • Entry tier
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Full archive
    • API access
    • Custom analytics

AirVisual

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Global AQI data
    • Forecasts
    • Health tips
  • Pro$4.99/month
    • Ad-free
    • Historical data
    • Widgets

Which should you pick?

Choose Planet Labs if

  • You need daily satellite imagery.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want change detection.
Planet Labs review

Choose AirVisual if

  • You need global aqi coverage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want 3-day forecasts.
AirVisual review

Questions people ask

Is Planet Labs or AirVisual better?
Neither clearly leads. Planet Labs starts at On request and AirVisual at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Planet Labs or AirVisual?
AirVisual has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Planet Labs and Free for AirVisual.
Does Planet Labs or AirVisual run on more platforms?
Planet Labs runs on Web, Api. AirVisual runs on Ios, Android, Web.
Can I use AirVisual for free?
Yes. AirVisual has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Planet Labs starts at On request.
What is Planet Labs best used for?
Planet Labs is most often used for daily satellite imagery monitoring of a defined area of interest, detecting change in land use, agriculture and infrastructure over time, feeding satellite imagery into analytics and machine learning pipelines. Of those, daily satellite imagery monitoring of a defined area of interest and detecting change in land use, agriculture and infrastructure over time are not what AirVisual is typically brought in for.
What can Planet Labs do that AirVisual cannot?
Planet Labs covers Daily satellite imagery, Change detection, Agriculture monitoring, Forest tracking. AirVisual covers Global AQI coverage, 3-day forecasts, Health recommendations, City rankings. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

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