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Planet Labs vs Apple Weather (Dark Sky)

Planet Labs logo

Planet Labs

Software

Daily satellite imagery for environmental monitoring

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Apple Weather (Dark Sky) logo

Apple Weather (Dark Sky)

Software

Hyperlocal precipitation forecasts built into iOS

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Apple Weather (Dark Sky) 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; Apple Weather (Dark Sky) dark Sky as a standalone app and API no longer exists, it was removed from the App Store and its API shut down; Dark Sky's technology now only exists folded into the built-in Apple Weather app, so any 'Dark Sky' branded product/API can no longer be evaluated or purchased
  • They diverge on capability: Planet Labs covers Daily satellite imagery, Apple Weather (Dark Sky) covers Minute-by-minute precipitation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Planet Labs and Apple Weather (Dark Sky) actually diverge.

Attributes where Planet Labs and Apple Weather (Dark Sky) differ
AttributePlanet LabsApple Weather (Dark Sky)
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, ApiiOS, macOS
Founded20102011

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 Apple Weather (Dark Sky)

  • Minute-by-minute precipitation
  • Next-hour forecasts
  • Severe weather alerts
  • Air quality
  • UV index
  • iOS widgets
  • Siri
  • Apple Watch

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 Apple Weather (Dark Sky)
  • Detecting change in land use, agriculture and infrastructure over timenot Apple Weather (Dark Sky)
  • Feeding satellite imagery into analytics and machine learning pipelinesnot Apple Weather (Dark Sky)

Apple Weather (Dark Sky)

  • Checking hyperlocal current conditions and next-hour precipitation forecasts on iPhone/iPad/Mac/Apple Watchnot Planet Labs
  • Viewing hourly forecasts for the next 10 daysnot Planet Labs
  • Viewing high-resolution precipitation radar mapsnot Planet Labs
  • Receiving severe weather notificationsnot 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

Apple Weather (Dark Sky)

  • Dark Sky as a standalone app and API no longer exists, it was removed from the App Store and its API shut down; Dark Sky's technology now only exists folded into the built-in Apple Weather app, so any 'Dark Sky' branded product/API can no longer be evaluated or purchased
  • Apple Weather has no public pricing/API tier of its own comparable to the old Dark Sky API, developers must use Apple's separate WeatherKit product instead
  • Apple Weather (the consumer app) is limited to Apple's own platforms; it is not available on Android or Windows

Pricing, plan by plan

Planet Labs

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

Apple Weather (Dark Sky)

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full weather features
    • Minute-by-minute rain
    • Severe alerts

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 Apple Weather (Dark Sky) if

  • You need minute-by-minute precipitation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, macOS.
  • You also want next-hour forecasts.
Apple Weather (Dark Sky) review

Questions people ask

Is Planet Labs or Apple Weather (Dark Sky) better?
Neither clearly leads. Planet Labs starts at On request and Apple Weather (Dark Sky) at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Planet Labs or Apple Weather (Dark Sky)?
Apple Weather (Dark Sky) has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Planet Labs and Free for Apple Weather (Dark Sky).
Does Planet Labs or Apple Weather (Dark Sky) run on more platforms?
Planet Labs runs on Web, Api. Apple Weather (Dark Sky) runs on iOS, macOS.
Can I use Apple Weather (Dark Sky) for free?
Yes. Apple Weather (Dark Sky) 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 Apple Weather (Dark Sky) is typically brought in for.
What can Planet Labs do that Apple Weather (Dark Sky) cannot?
Planet Labs covers Daily satellite imagery, Change detection, Agriculture monitoring, Forest tracking. Apple Weather (Dark Sky) covers Minute-by-minute precipitation, Next-hour forecasts, Severe weather alerts, Air quality.
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