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Storm Radar vs Visual Crossing Weather

Storm Radar logo

Storm Radar

Weather

Advanced storm tracking from The Weather Channel

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: Storm Radar iOS-only at launch with Android support still pending; 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: Storm Radar covers Future 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 Storm Radar and Visual Crossing Weather actually diverge.

Attributes where Storm Radar and Visual Crossing Weather differ
AttributeStorm RadarVisual Crossing Weather
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsiOSApi, Web
Founded19822003

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Storm Radar

  • Future radar
  • Storm tracking
  • Lightning detection
  • Hurricane tracker
  • Severe alerts
  • Weather Channel ecosystem
  • Smart devices
  • Ios support

Only in Visual Crossing Weather

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

What people use each for

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

Storm Radar

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

Visual Crossing Weather

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

Where each one falls short

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

Storm Radar

  • iOS-only at launch with Android support still pending
  • Premium subscription required for advanced features like future radar and custom alerts
  • Limited integration options with other weather or emergency alert services

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

Storm Radar

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic weather radar
    • Real-time precipitation alerts
    • Severe weather warnings
  • Premium$3.99/month
    • Future radar (6-72 hours)
    • 30 advanced tracking features
    • AI Weather Assistant

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 Storm Radar if

  • You need future radar.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS.
  • You also want storm tracking.
Storm Radar 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 Storm Radar or Visual Crossing Weather better?
Neither clearly leads. Storm Radar 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, Storm Radar or Visual Crossing Weather?
Storm Radar starts at Free and Visual Crossing Weather at Free.
Does Storm Radar or Visual Crossing Weather run on more platforms?
Storm Radar runs on iOS. Visual Crossing Weather runs on Api, Web.
Can I use Storm Radar for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Storm Radar best used for?
Storm Radar 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 Storm Radar do that Visual Crossing Weather cannot?
Storm Radar covers Future radar, Storm tracking, Lightning detection, Hurricane tracker. Visual Crossing Weather covers Historical weather, 15-day forecasts, Weather query builder, Bulk downloads.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Storm Radar: How much does Storm Radar cost?

Storm Radar is free to download on iOS. Premium features cost $3.99 per month or $19.99 per year. The Weather Channel Premium Pro subscribers get all Storm Radar premium features for $4.99/month or $29.99/year.

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
Storm Radar: What platforms does Storm Radar support?

Storm Radar is currently available on iOS. An Android version is planned for future release.

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
Storm Radar: What storm tracking features does Storm Radar provide?

Storm Radar offers 6 hours of global future radar and up to 72 hours in the US, real-time precipitation alerts, NOAA severe weather warnings, lightning alerts, and up to 30 advanced tracking features for hurricanes, tornadoes, and other storms.

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
Storm Radar: Does Storm Radar include an AI Weather Assistant?

Yes, Storm Radar includes an AI-Powered Weather Assistant that provides personal meteorologist-level insights using generative AI to transform complex weather data into natural updates.

Source
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