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Weather · head to head

Visual Crossing Weather vs Yr.no

Visual Crossing Weather logo

Visual Crossing Weather

Weather

Historical and forecast weather data for any location

From
Free
Rated
-
Yr.no logo

Yr.no

Weather

Norway's trusted free weather service for the world

From
Free
Rated
-

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; Yr.no full API/data usage requires attribution to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and NRK per their terms, not a no-strings-attached free service
  • They diverge on capability: Visual Crossing Weather covers Historical weather, Yr.no covers Hourly forecasts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Visual Crossing Weather and Yr.no actually diverge.

Attributes where Visual Crossing Weather and Yr.no differ
AttributeVisual Crossing WeatherYr.no
Pricing modelfreemiumfree
PlatformsApi, WebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20032007

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 Visual Crossing Weather

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

Only in Yr.no

  • Hourly forecasts
  • Long-term predictions
  • Precipitation graphs
  • Wind data
  • Aurora forecasts
  • Open API
  • Widgets
  • Smart displays

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 Yr.no
  • Adding forecast data to applications through a weather APInot Yr.no
  • Weather driven analytics for energy, agriculture and logisticsnot Yr.no

Yr.no

  • Checking day-by-day and hour-by-hour weather forecasts with graph detailsnot Visual Crossing Weather
  • Now-cast alerts for rainfall expected within the next 90 minutesnot Visual Crossing Weather
  • Viewing UV forecasts, pollen spread, and air pollution overviewsnot Visual Crossing Weather
  • Embedding free weather widgets/modules on third-party websitesnot Visual Crossing Weather
  • Building weather features into apps via Yr's free REST APIs (forecasts, alerts, radar, ocean data)not 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

Yr.no

  • Full API/data usage requires attribution to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and NRK per their terms, not a no-strings-attached free service
  • Product and documentation are heavily Norway/Nordic-centric in framing even though forecasts cover any location on earth
  • No paid/pro consumer tier is published, monetization/support model beyond the free service is unclear from primary sources

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

Yr.no

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full weather data
    • Hourly forecasts
    • Long-term outlook

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.

Choose Yr.no if

  • You need hourly forecasts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want long-term predictions.

Questions people ask

Is Visual Crossing Weather or Yr.no better?
Neither clearly leads. Visual Crossing Weather starts at Free and Yr.no at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Visual Crossing Weather or Yr.no?
Visual Crossing Weather starts at Free and Yr.no at Free.
Does Visual Crossing Weather or Yr.no run on more platforms?
Visual Crossing Weather runs on Api, Web. Yr.no 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 Yr.no is typically brought in for.
What can Visual Crossing Weather do that Yr.no cannot?
Visual Crossing Weather covers Historical weather, 15-day forecasts, Weather query builder, Bulk downloads. Yr.no covers Hourly forecasts, Long-term predictions, Precipitation graphs, Wind data. 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
Yr.no: Is Yr.no free to use?

Yes, Yr.no is a free weather forecasting service. It is a collaboration between NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting) and The Norwegian Meteorological Institute.

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
Yr.no: Does Yr.no require registration or payment to access weather forecasts?

The website does not mention any registration requirements, subscription tiers, or payment obligations. Access to weather information appears to be free without account creation.

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
Yr.no: Who funds and maintains Yr.no if it is free?

Yr.no is maintained as a public service collaboration between NRK (Norwegian public broadcasting) and The Norwegian Meteorological Institute, both government-supported organizations.

Source
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