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Weather · head to head

Visual Crossing Weather vs Zoom Earth

Visual Crossing Weather logo

Visual Crossing Weather

Weather

Historical and forecast weather data for any location

From
Free
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

  • 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; 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: Visual Crossing Weather covers Historical weather, 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 Visual Crossing Weather and Zoom Earth actually diverge.

Attributes where Visual Crossing Weather and Zoom Earth differ
AttributeVisual Crossing WeatherZoom Earth
Pricing modelfreemiumFree, no account required
PlatformsApi, WebWeb
Founded2003Unknown

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 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.

Visual Crossing Weather

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

Zoom Earth

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

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

Visual Crossing Weather

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

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 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 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 Visual Crossing Weather or Zoom Earth better?
Neither clearly leads. Visual Crossing Weather starts at Free and Zoom Earth at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Visual Crossing Weather or Zoom Earth?
Visual Crossing Weather starts at Free and Zoom Earth at Free.
Does Visual Crossing Weather or Zoom Earth run on more platforms?
Visual Crossing Weather runs on Api, Web. Zoom Earth runs on Web.
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 Zoom Earth is typically brought in for.
What can Visual Crossing Weather do that Zoom Earth cannot?
Visual Crossing Weather covers Historical weather, 15-day forecasts, Weather query builder, Bulk downloads. Zoom Earth covers Global satellite view, Storm tracking, MODIS high resolution, Historical imagery.

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
Zoom Earth: Do I need to create an account?

No. Zoom Earth works without registration or login.

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

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

Source
Zoom Earth: Is there a mobile app?

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

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
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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