Software · head to head
Weather Underground vs Weather Underground PWS
Weather Underground
Software
Crowdsourced hyperlocal weather from personal stations
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Weather Underground PWS
Software
World's largest personal weather station network
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Weather Underground free public API discontinued as of December 31, 2018 with no new developer accounts accepted; Weather Underground PWS personal weather station network relies on community contributions
- They diverge on capability: Weather Underground covers Personal weather stations, Weather Underground PWS covers Station network.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Weather Underground and Weather Underground PWS actually diverge.
| Attribute | Weather Underground | Weather Underground PWS |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile web, Personal Weather Station network | Web, Mobile |
| Founded | 2003 | 1995 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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
- Personal weather stations
- Hyperlocal data
- Historical records
- Webcams
- Community forums
- PWS networks
- Smart home
- APIs
Only in Weather Underground PWS
- Station network
- Real-time upload
- Historical data
- Quality control
- Community rankings
- PWS devices
- Data APIs
- Weather apps
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Weather Underground
- Professional Worknot Weather Underground PWS
- Content Creationnot Weather Underground PWS
Weather Underground PWS
- Community-sourced weather station networknot Weather Underground
- Personal weather monitoring and forecastingnot Weather Underground
- Historical weather data accessnot Weather Underground
- Severe weather alerts and notificationsnot Weather Underground
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Weather Underground
- Free public API discontinued as of December 31, 2018 with no new developer accounts accepted
- Previous enterprise pricing was expensive at $150/month for Cumulus Drizzle plan
- No longer competitive for developers needing reliable weather API access
- Service is in wind-down phase with limited future development
Weather Underground PWS
- Personal weather station network relies on community contributions
- Data accuracy varies by station quality
Pricing, plan by plan
Weather Underground
Free- FreeFree
- PWS data access
- Forecasts
- Historical data
- Ad-Free$1.99/month
- No advertisements
- Premium features
Weather Underground PWS
Free- FreeFree
- Station registration
- Data upload
- Dashboard
Which should you pick?
Choose Weather Underground if
- You need personal weather stations.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile web, Personal Weather Station network.
- You also want hyperlocal data.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Weather Underground or Weather Underground PWS better?
- Neither clearly leads. Weather Underground starts at Free and Weather Underground PWS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Weather Underground or Weather Underground PWS?
- Weather Underground starts at Free and Weather Underground PWS at Free.
- Does Weather Underground or Weather Underground PWS run on more platforms?
- Weather Underground runs on Web, Mobile web, Personal Weather Station network. Weather Underground PWS runs on Web, Mobile.
- Can I use Weather Underground for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Weather Underground best used for?
- Weather Underground is most often used for professional work, content creation. Of those, professional work and content creation are not what Weather Underground PWS is typically brought in for.
- What can Weather Underground do that Weather Underground PWS cannot?
- Weather Underground covers Personal weather stations, Hyperlocal data, Historical records, Webcams. Weather Underground PWS covers Station network, Real-time upload, Historical data, Quality control. Both handle Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Weather Underground: What happened to the Weather Underground API?
The free public API was discontinued on December 31, 2018, after IBM acquired The Weather Company. The service is now in a wind-down phase with no new developer accounts accepted.
SourceWeather Underground: Can I still use Weather Underground's data?
Free API keys are still available for Personal Weather Station (PWS) owners who upload data to the network. General developers need to migrate to alternative weather API providers.
SourceWeather Underground: What was the pricing for Weather Underground's Cumulus plans?
The Cumulus Drizzle plan cost $150/month, which many developers found prohibitively expensive for weather data compared to modern alternatives.
SourceWeather Underground: Does Weather Underground still offer a consumer-facing service?
Yes. The consumer website continues to provide weather forecasts, news, alerts, and access to personal weather station data through the PWS network.
Source