Weather & Environment · head to head
Planet Labs vs The Weather Channel
Planet Labs
Weather & Environment
Daily satellite imagery for environmental monitoring
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The Weather Channel
Weather & Environment
America's most trusted weather source with real-time forecasts
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only The Weather Channel 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; The Weather Channel premium radar features are limited to iOS and macOS; not available on Android or other platforms
- They diverge on capability: Planet Labs covers Daily satellite imagery, The Weather Channel covers 10-day forecasts.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Planet Labs and The Weather Channel actually diverge.
| Attribute | Planet Labs | The Weather Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | quote | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Api | iOS, Android, Web, Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku |
| Founded | 2010 | 1982 |
Identical on both: 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 Planet Labs
- Daily satellite imagery
- Change detection
- Agriculture monitoring
- Forest tracking
- Climate data
- API access
- GIS platforms
- Cloud services
Only in The Weather Channel
- 10-day forecasts
- Hourly predictions
- Interactive radar
- Severe weather alerts
- Air quality index
- Smart home devices
- Connected cars
- Wearables
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 The Weather Channel
- Detecting change in land use, agriculture and infrastructure over timenot The Weather Channel
- Feeding satellite imagery into analytics and machine learning pipelinesnot The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel
- Checking daily and 10-day local weather forecastsnot Planet Labs
- Tracking storms and hurricanes via Storm Radarnot Planet Labs
- Viewing weather radar mapsnot Planet Labs
- Getting severe weather alertsnot Planet Labs
- Accessing weather news and video content on weather.comnot 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
The Weather Channel
- Premium radar features are limited to iOS and macOS; not available on Android or other platforms
- Premium subscription required for advanced radar customization
- Premium perks tied to partner deals which may change
Pricing, plan by plan
Planet Labs
On request- ExplorerFree
- Limited imagery
- Basic tools
- Entry tier
- EnterpriseFree
- Full archive
- API access
- Custom analytics
The Weather Channel
Free- FreeFree
- Rain radar and storm tracker
- Allergy tracker
- 24-hour future radar
- Premium$29.99/year
- All free features
- Premium perks program (up to USD 187 value)
- 18Birdies golf app access (30% off plus free week)
Which should you pick?
Choose Planet Labs if
- You need daily satellite imagery.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want change detection.
Choose The Weather Channel if
- You need 10-day forecasts.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web, Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku.
- You also want hourly predictions.
Questions people ask
- Is Planet Labs or The Weather Channel better?
- Neither clearly leads. Planet Labs starts at On request and The Weather Channel at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Planet Labs or The Weather Channel?
- The Weather Channel has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Planet Labs and Free for The Weather Channel.
- Does Planet Labs or The Weather Channel run on more platforms?
- Planet Labs runs on Web, Api. The Weather Channel runs on iOS, Android, Web, Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku.
- Can I use The Weather Channel for free?
- Yes. The Weather Channel 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 The Weather Channel is typically brought in for.
- What can Planet Labs do that The Weather Channel cannot?
- Planet Labs covers Daily satellite imagery, Change detection, Agriculture monitoring, Forest tracking. The Weather Channel covers 10-day forecasts, Hourly predictions, Interactive radar, Severe weather alerts. Both handle Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
The Weather Channel: What is the cost of The Weather Channel Premium?
The Weather Channel Premium subscription costs USD 29.99 annually with a 7-day free trial before the annual charge is applied.
SourceThe Weather Channel: What premium features are included?
The Weather Channel Premium includes premium perks program offering up to USD 187 in partner deals, access to 18Birdies golf app (30% off plus free week), and professional-grade customizable radar with high-resolution single-site radar on iOS and macOS devices.
SourceThe Weather Channel: What are the free features available?
Free features include rain radar, storm tracker, allergy tracker, 24-hour future radar, storm alerts, Feels Like temperature, hourly and daily forecasts, weather widgets with dark mode support, and air quality monitoring.
The Weather Channel: What devices are supported?
The Weather Channel app is available on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku, and other streaming platforms.
Related pages
More on Planet Labs
More on The Weather Channel
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