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Weather · head to head

Plume Labs vs Zoom Earth

Plume Labs logo

Plume Labs

Weather

Personal air quality tracking and forecasting

From
$179/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoom Earth logo

Zoom Earth

Weather

Free browser-based satellite weather and storm tracking, no account or install

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zoom Earth has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Plume Labs plume Labs states on its own site that the Flow and Flow 2 hardware are no longer available for purchase, while the Plume Labs App and the Plume API continue to operate; Zoom Earth there are no push notifications or alerts, so it cannot warn you proactively the way a mobile weather app can.
  • They diverge on capability: Plume Labs covers Personal air sensor, Zoom Earth covers Global satellite view.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Plume Labs and Zoom Earth actually diverge.

Attributes where Plume Labs and Zoom Earth differ
AttributePlume LabsZoom Earth
Starting price$179/one-timeFree
Pricing modelone-timeFree, no account required
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsIos, Android, HardwareWeb
Founded2014Unknown

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 Plume Labs

  • Personal air sensor
  • Real-time tracking
  • Exposure insights
  • Route suggestions
  • Health tips
  • Mobile app
  • Fitness trackers
  • Smart home

Only in Zoom Earth

  • Global satellite view
  • Storm tracking
  • MODIS high resolution
  • Historical imagery
  • Precipitation radar overlay
  • No install required

What people use each for

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

Plume Labs

  • Professional Worknot Zoom Earth
  • Content Creationnot Zoom Earth

Zoom Earth

  • Watching a hurricane or typhoon track develop without installing an appnot Plume Labs
  • A quick global satellite check before deciding whether a local forecast app is worth openingnot Plume Labs
  • Journalists or researchers needing a citable, no-login satellite view of a weather eventnot Plume Labs
  • Comparing current satellite imagery against archived imagery from years earlier for the same regionnot Plume Labs

Where each one falls short

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

Plume Labs

  • Plume Labs states on its own site that the Flow and Flow 2 hardware are no longer available for purchase, while the Plume Labs App and the Plume API continue to operate

Zoom Earth

  • There are no push notifications or alerts, so it cannot warn you proactively the way a mobile weather app can.
  • It has no offline mode, so it is unusable without an internet connection, unlike apps that cache forecasts.
  • Forecasting is minimal; it shows what the satellites and radar currently see rather than a detailed hyperlocal forecast.
  • Being free and unaccountable to a paying customer base, there is no committed support channel if the site or a data feed goes down.
  • The browser-only interface is less convenient for quick daily checks than a home-screen app icon with widgets.

Pricing, plan by plan

Plume Labs

$179/one-time
  • Flow 2$179/one-time
    • Personal sensor
    • Real-time tracking
    • App access

Zoom Earth

Free
  • Zoom EarthFree
    • Full satellite and storm tracking access
    • No account, no ads-gated tier
    • No offline mode or push alerts

Which should you pick?

Choose Plume Labs if

  • You need personal air sensor.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Hardware.
  • You also want real-time tracking.
Plume Labs review

Choose Zoom Earth if

  • You need global satellite view.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want storm tracking.
Zoom Earth review

Questions people ask

Is Plume Labs or Zoom Earth better?
Neither clearly leads. Plume Labs starts at $179/one-time and Zoom Earth at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Plume Labs or Zoom Earth?
Zoom Earth has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $179/one-time for Plume Labs and Free for Zoom Earth.
Does Plume Labs or Zoom Earth run on more platforms?
Plume Labs runs on Ios, Android, Hardware. Zoom Earth runs on Web.
Can I use Zoom Earth for free?
Yes. Zoom Earth has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Plume Labs starts at $179/one-time.
What is Plume Labs best used for?
Plume Labs is most often used for professional work, content creation. Of those, professional work and content creation are not what Zoom Earth is typically brought in for.
What can Plume Labs do that Zoom Earth cannot?
Plume Labs covers Personal air sensor, Real-time tracking, Exposure insights, Route suggestions. Zoom Earth covers Global satellite view, Storm tracking, MODIS high resolution, Historical imagery.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Plume Labs: Is the Flow 2 air quality sensor still available for purchase?

No. Plume Labs discontinued the Flow 2 hardware in Spring 2023. It is no longer for sale.

Source
Zoom Earth: Do I need to create an account?

No. Zoom Earth works without registration or login.

Plume Labs: What air quality products does Plume Labs currently offer?

Plume Labs now offers the Plume Labs App for air quality forecasts and the Plume API for business data solutions. Specific pricing for these services is not disclosed on the website.

Source
Zoom Earth: Is there a mobile app?

No, it is a responsive website that works in mobile browsers rather than a native app.

Zoom Earth: How current is the imagery?

Geostationary imagery updates roughly every 10 to 15 minutes; higher-resolution MODIS imagery updates about twice a day.

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