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Weather · head to head

Visual Crossing Weather vs Windy

Visual Crossing Weather logo

Visual Crossing Weather

Weather

Historical and forecast weather data for any location

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Windy logo

Windy

Weather

Advanced weather visualization and forecasting platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; Windy windy Premium is required for the 1-hour and 15-day forecast outlook, 4-6x daily model updates, 24-hour radar/satellite loops with 1-year archives, and tide forecast maps, per the App Store listing; the free tier lacks these
  • They diverge on capability: Visual Crossing Weather covers Historical weather, Windy covers Weather visualization.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Visual Crossing Weather and Windy differ
AttributeVisual Crossing WeatherWindy
PlatformsApi, WebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20032014

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 Visual Crossing Weather

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

Only in Windy

  • Weather visualization
  • Wind forecasts
  • Precipitation maps
  • Interactive charts
  • Real-time data
  • Global weather models
  • Satellite data
  • Weather APIs

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Visual Crossing Weather

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

Windy

  • Weather analysisnot Visual Crossing Weather
  • Flight planningnot Visual Crossing Weather
  • Wind pattern analysisnot Visual Crossing Weather
  • Meteorological researchnot Visual Crossing Weather

Where each one falls short

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

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

Windy

  • Windy Premium is required for the 1-hour and 15-day forecast outlook, 4-6x daily model updates, 24-hour radar/satellite loops with 1-year archives, and tide forecast maps, per the App Store listing; the free tier lacks these

Pricing, plan by plan

Visual Crossing Weather

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

Windy

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Weather maps
    • Wind forecasts
    • Precipitation data
  • Premium$5.99/month
    • Advanced models
    • Historical data
    • API access

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Windy if

  • You need weather visualization.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want wind forecasts.
Windy review

Questions people ask

Is Visual Crossing Weather or Windy better?
Neither clearly leads. Visual Crossing Weather starts at Free and Windy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Visual Crossing Weather or Windy?
Visual Crossing Weather starts at Free and Windy at Free.
Does Visual Crossing Weather or Windy run on more platforms?
Visual Crossing Weather runs on Api, Web. Windy runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Visual Crossing Weather for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Visual Crossing Weather best used for?
Visual Crossing Weather is most often used for pulling historical weather records for analysis and modelling, adding forecast data to applications through a weather api, weather driven analytics for energy, agriculture and logistics. Of those, pulling historical weather records for analysis and modelling and adding forecast data to applications through a weather api are not what Windy is typically brought in for.
What can Visual Crossing Weather do that Windy cannot?
Visual Crossing Weather covers Historical weather, 15-day forecasts, Weather query builder, Bulk downloads. Windy covers Weather visualization, Wind forecasts, Precipitation maps, Interactive charts. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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

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

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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