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Weather · head to head

Weathernews Inc vs Yr.no

Weathernews Inc logo

Weathernews Inc

Weather

Global weather solutions for shipping

From
$600/month
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

  • Only Yr.no has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Weathernews Inc primarily Japan-based with headquarters in Chiba, may have lower coverage in certain regional markets outside Asia; 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: Weathernews Inc covers Optimum ship routing, Yr.no covers Hourly forecasts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Weathernews Inc and Yr.no actually diverge.

Attributes where Weathernews Inc and Yr.no differ
AttributeWeathernews IncYr.no
Starting price$600/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Api, MobileWeb, iOS, Android
Founded19862007

Identical on both: 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 Weathernews Inc

  • Optimum ship routing
  • Weather forecasting
  • Voyage planning
  • Risk assessment
  • Fleet management
  • Bridge systems
  • Navigation software
  • Api support

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.

Weathernews Inc

  • Optimizing cargo ship navigation with real-time maritime weather forecastsnot Yr.no
  • Supporting offshore wind farm operations with 24-hour weather monitoringnot Yr.no
  • Providing exclusive wind data for commercial drone flight planningnot Yr.no
  • Routing emergency medical helicopters in Japan with weather intelligencenot Yr.no

Yr.no

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

Where each one falls short

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

Weathernews Inc

  • Primarily Japan-based with headquarters in Chiba, may have lower coverage in certain regional markets outside Asia
  • Marine weather data and aviation services are newer offerings compared to core weather forecasting capabilities
  • Competition from established European weather services in maritime sector

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

Weathernews Inc

$600/month
  • Optimum Routing$1500/month
    • Weather routing
    • Voyage optimization
    • 24/7 support

Yr.no

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Weathernews Inc if

  • You need optimum ship routing.
  • You work on Web, Api, Mobile.
  • You also want weather forecasting.
Weathernews Inc 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 Weathernews Inc or Yr.no better?
Neither clearly leads. Weathernews Inc starts at $600/month and Yr.no at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Weathernews Inc or Yr.no?
Yr.no has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $600/month for Weathernews Inc and Free for Yr.no.
Does Weathernews Inc or Yr.no run on more platforms?
Weathernews Inc runs on Web, Api, Mobile. Yr.no runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Yr.no for free?
Yes. Yr.no has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Weathernews Inc starts at $600/month.
What is Weathernews Inc best used for?
Weathernews Inc is most often used for optimizing cargo ship navigation with real-time maritime weather forecasts, supporting offshore wind farm operations with 24-hour weather monitoring, providing exclusive wind data for commercial drone flight planning, routing emergency medical helicopters in japan with weather intelligence. Of those, optimizing cargo ship navigation with real-time maritime weather forecasts and supporting offshore wind farm operations with 24-hour weather monitoring are not what Yr.no is typically brought in for.
What can Weathernews Inc do that Yr.no cannot?
Weathernews Inc covers Optimum ship routing, Weather forecasting, Voyage planning, Risk assessment. Yr.no covers Hourly forecasts, Long-term predictions, Precipitation graphs, Wind data. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Weathernews Inc: Does Weathernews provide marine weather data?

Yes. Weathernews provides wind, wave, current, sea ice, and typhoon information for global marine operations through its SeaNavigator platform, which launched SeaNavigator for Master in December 2025 with AI-assisted operations support.

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
Weathernews Inc: What marine weather products does Weathernews offer?

Weathernews offers SeaNavigator Marine Weather Service, SeaNavigator for Master with conversational AI for captains, and marine data for Middle East waters made available free of charge in April 2026.

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
Weathernews Inc: Does Weathernews serve the aviation industry?

Yes. Weathernews expanded aviation services with the December 2025 launch of SkyAviators, offering Global Aviation Weather Intelligence with turbulence risk assessments and takeoff/landing feasibility judgments for airports worldwide.

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
Weathernews Inc: What was Weathernews founded in response to?

Weathernews was founded on June 11, 1986 by Hiro Ishibashi in response to a tragic maritime disaster where a cargo vessel sank at the port of Onahama, Japan with 15 crew members lost, demonstrating the need for better weather information.

Source
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