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RainViewer vs Visual Crossing Weather

RainViewer logo

RainViewer

Weather

Global rain radar with accurate precipitation forecasts

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Visual Crossing Weather logo

Visual Crossing Weather

Weather

Historical and forecast weather data for any location

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: RainViewer limited to precipitation forecasting without comprehensive weather data like temperature or wind; Visual Crossing Weather sub hourly weather history, solar and wind energy elements, soil and evapotranspiration data and degree day calculations are excluded from the Professional plan
  • They diverge on capability: RainViewer covers Global rain radar, Visual Crossing Weather covers Historical weather.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which RainViewer and Visual Crossing Weather actually diverge.

Attributes where RainViewer and Visual Crossing Weather differ
AttributeRainViewerVisual Crossing Weather
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidApi, Web
Founded20152003

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 RainViewer

  • Global rain radar
  • Smooth animations
  • 2-hour forecasts
  • Lightning data
  • Satellite imagery
  • Widgets
  • Notifications
  • Ios support

Only in Visual Crossing Weather

  • Historical weather
  • 15-day forecasts
  • Weather query builder
  • Bulk downloads
  • REST API
  • Excel add-in
  • Python library
  • Api support

Both cover

  • API access
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

RainViewer

  • Professional Worknot Visual Crossing Weather
  • Content Creationnot Visual Crossing Weather

Visual Crossing Weather

  • Pulling historical weather records for analysis and modellingnot RainViewer
  • Adding forecast data to applications through a weather APInot RainViewer
  • Weather driven analytics for energy, agriculture and logisticsnot RainViewer

Where each one falls short

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

RainViewer

  • Limited to precipitation forecasting without comprehensive weather data like temperature or wind
  • Forecast window limited to 2 hours, not suitable for extended weather planning
  • Smaller global weather station network compared to national meteorological services
  • Limited historical weather data compared to competing weather platforms

Visual Crossing Weather

  • Sub hourly weather history, solar and wind energy elements, soil and evapotranspiration data and degree day calculations are excluded from the Professional plan
  • Removing the attribution requirement needs the Corporate plan or above
  • Usage is metered in records rather than API calls, and the metered plan requires a cost calculator to work out the bill
  • Per record rates are not stated on the editions page
  • Enterprise terms are custom rather than published

Pricing, plan by plan

RainViewer

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Global radar
    • Animations
    • Forecasts
  • Premium$2.99/month
    • No ads
    • API access
    • Extended history

Visual Crossing Weather

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1,000 records/day
    • 15-day forecast
    • Historical data
  • Professional$35/month
    • 10,000 records/day
    • Full API
    • Support

Which should you pick?

Choose RainViewer if

  • You need global rain radar.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want smooth animations.
RainViewer review

Choose Visual Crossing Weather if

  • You need historical weather.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api, Web.
  • You also want 15-day forecasts.
Visual Crossing Weather review

Questions people ask

Is RainViewer or Visual Crossing Weather better?
Neither clearly leads. RainViewer starts at Free and Visual Crossing Weather at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, RainViewer or Visual Crossing Weather?
RainViewer starts at Free and Visual Crossing Weather at Free.
Does RainViewer or Visual Crossing Weather run on more platforms?
RainViewer runs on Web, iOS, Android. Visual Crossing Weather runs on Api, Web.
Can I use RainViewer for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is RainViewer best used for?
RainViewer is most often used for professional work, content creation. Of those, professional work and content creation are not what Visual Crossing Weather is typically brought in for.
What can RainViewer do that Visual Crossing Weather cannot?
RainViewer covers Global rain radar, Smooth animations, 2-hour forecasts, Lightning data. Visual Crossing Weather covers Historical weather, 15-day forecasts, Weather query builder, Bulk downloads. Both handle API access, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

RainViewer: What weather data does RainViewer use?

RainViewer processes radar data from over 1,000 radar stations worldwide to provide precipitation forecasts with sub-kilometer accuracy updated every 5 minutes.

Source
Visual Crossing Weather: Does Visual Crossing offer free weather data?

Yes, the first 1,000 daily records are free and include both historical and forecast data for commercial use.

Source
RainViewer: How far ahead can RainViewer forecast rain?

RainViewer provides 2-hour precipitation forecasts updated frequently throughout the day with hyperlocal predictions.

Source
Visual Crossing Weather: Can I use Visual Crossing weather data for commercial purposes?

Yes, all Visual Crossing subscription tiers include commercial use rights.

Source
RainViewer: Is RainViewer available on all platforms?

RainViewer offers both a mobile app and web platform for accessing precipitation forecasts and radar data.

Source
Visual Crossing Weather: What is the difference between the Metered and Corporate plans on Visual Crossing?

The Metered plan charges pay-as-you-go for unlimited records with 5 locations per query. The Corporate plan has unlimited records with fair use policy, 1,000 locations per query, advanced features like solar and wind energy, and premium support included.

Source
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