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Weather · head to head

Weather Underground vs Zoom Earth

Weather Underground logo

Weather Underground

Weather

Crowdsourced hyperlocal weather from personal stations

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: Weather Underground free public API discontinued as of December 31, 2018 with no new developer accounts accepted; 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: Weather Underground covers Personal weather stations, 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 Weather Underground and Zoom Earth actually diverge.

Attributes where Weather Underground and Zoom Earth differ
AttributeWeather UndergroundZoom Earth
Pricing modelfreemiumFree, no account required
PlatformsWeb, Mobile web, Personal Weather Station networkWeb
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 Weather Underground

  • Personal weather stations
  • Hyperlocal data
  • Historical records
  • Webcams
  • Community forums
  • PWS networks
  • Smart home
  • APIs

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.

Weather Underground

  • Professional Worknot Zoom Earth
  • Content Creationnot Zoom Earth

Zoom Earth

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

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

Weather Underground

Free
  • FreeFree
    • PWS data access
    • Forecasts
    • Historical data
  • Ad-Free$1.99/month
    • No advertisements
    • Premium features

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 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.
Weather Underground 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 Weather Underground or Zoom Earth better?
Neither clearly leads. Weather Underground 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, Weather Underground or Zoom Earth?
Weather Underground starts at Free and Zoom Earth at Free.
Does Weather Underground or Zoom Earth run on more platforms?
Weather Underground runs on Web, Mobile web, Personal Weather Station network. Zoom Earth runs on Web.
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 Zoom Earth is typically brought in for.
What can Weather Underground do that Zoom Earth cannot?
Weather Underground covers Personal weather stations, Hyperlocal data, Historical records, Webcams. Zoom Earth covers Global satellite view, Storm tracking, MODIS high resolution, Historical imagery.

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.

Source
Zoom Earth: Do I need to create an account?

No. Zoom Earth works without registration or login.

Weather 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.

Source
Zoom Earth: Is there a mobile app?

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

Weather 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.

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.

Weather 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
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