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Weather · head to head

Weather Underground PWS vs Yr.no

Weather Underground PWS logo

Weather Underground PWS

Weather

World's largest personal weather station network

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Yr.no logo

Yr.no

Weather

Norway's trusted free weather service for the world

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Weather Underground PWS personal weather station network relies on community contributions; 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: Weather Underground PWS covers Station network, Yr.no covers Hourly forecasts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Weather Underground PWS and Yr.no actually diverge.

Attributes where Weather Underground PWS and Yr.no differ
AttributeWeather Underground PWSYr.no
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, iOS, Android
Founded19952007

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (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 Weather Underground PWS

  • Station network
  • Real-time upload
  • Historical data
  • Quality control
  • Community rankings
  • PWS devices
  • Data APIs
  • Weather apps

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.

Weather Underground PWS

  • Community-sourced weather station networknot Yr.no
  • Personal weather monitoring and forecastingnot Yr.no
  • Historical weather data accessnot Yr.no
  • Severe weather alerts and notificationsnot Yr.no

Yr.no

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

Where each one falls short

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

Weather Underground PWS

  • Personal weather station network relies on community contributions
  • Data accuracy varies by station quality

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

Weather Underground PWS

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Station registration
    • Data upload
    • Dashboard

Yr.no

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Weather Underground PWS if

  • You need station network.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want real-time upload.
Weather Underground PWS review

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.
Yr.no review

Questions people ask

Is Weather Underground PWS or Yr.no better?
Neither clearly leads. Weather Underground PWS 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, Weather Underground PWS or Yr.no?
Weather Underground PWS starts at Free and Yr.no at Free.
Does Weather Underground PWS or Yr.no run on more platforms?
Weather Underground PWS runs on Web, Mobile. Yr.no runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Weather Underground PWS for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Weather Underground PWS best used for?
Weather Underground PWS is most often used for community-sourced weather station network, personal weather monitoring and forecasting, historical weather data access, severe weather alerts and notifications. Of those, community-sourced weather station network and personal weather monitoring and forecasting are not what Yr.no is typically brought in for.
What can Weather Underground PWS do that Yr.no cannot?
Weather Underground PWS covers Station network, Real-time upload, Historical data, Quality control. Yr.no covers Hourly forecasts, Long-term predictions, Precipitation graphs, Wind data. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Weather Underground PWS: Is there a cost to join the Weather Underground Personal Weather Station network?

No cost is disclosed for joining the Weather Underground PWS network. The site encourages users to join and contribute weather data.

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
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
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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