Weather & Environment · head to head
Windy vs AirVisual
Windy
Weather & Environment
Advanced weather visualization and forecasting platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
AirVisual
Weather & Environment
World's largest air quality information platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Windy windy Premium is required for the 1-hour and 15-day forecast outlook, 4-6x daily model updates, 24-hour radar/satellite loops with 1-year archives, and tide forecast maps, per the App Store listing; the free tier lacks these; AirVisual outdoor readings depend on nearby government or crowdsourced monitors, so accuracy varies with local coverage
- They diverge on capability: Windy covers Weather visualization, AirVisual covers Global AQI coverage.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Windy and AirVisual actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Weather & Environment).
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 Windy
- Weather visualization
- Wind forecasts
- Precipitation maps
- Interactive charts
- Real-time data
- Global weather models
- Satellite data
- Weather APIs
Only in AirVisual
- Global AQI coverage
- 3-day forecasts
- Health recommendations
- City rankings
- Historical data
- Widgets
- Apple Watch
- Smart displays
Both cover
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Windy
- Weather analysisnot AirVisual
- Flight planningnot AirVisual
- Wind pattern analysisnot AirVisual
- Meteorological researchnot AirVisual
AirVisual
- Checking local air quality and PM2.5 levelsnot Windy
- Seven day air quality forecastsnot Windy
- Health guidance based on current pollutionnot Windy
- Comparing indoor and outdoor air with an IQAir monitornot Windy
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Windy
- Windy Premium is required for the 1-hour and 15-day forecast outlook, 4-6x daily model updates, 24-hour radar/satellite loops with 1-year archives, and tide forecast maps, per the App Store listing; the free tier lacks these
AirVisual
- Outdoor readings depend on nearby government or crowdsourced monitors, so accuracy varies with local coverage
- Indoor measurement needs an IQAir AirVisual monitor bought separately
- The app pages do not state what, if anything, costs money
Pricing, plan by plan
Windy
Free- FreeFree
- Weather maps
- Wind forecasts
- Precipitation data
- Premium$5.99/month
- Advanced models
- Historical data
- API access
AirVisual
Free- FreeFree
- Global AQI data
- Forecasts
- Health tips
- Pro$4.99/month
- Ad-free
- Historical data
- Widgets
Which should you pick?
Choose Windy if
- You need weather visualization.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want wind forecasts.
Choose AirVisual if
- You need global aqi coverage.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want 3-day forecasts.
Questions people ask
- Is Windy or AirVisual better?
- Neither clearly leads. Windy starts at Free and AirVisual at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Windy or AirVisual?
- Windy starts at Free and AirVisual at Free.
- Does Windy or AirVisual run on more platforms?
- Windy runs on Web, Ios, Android. AirVisual runs on Ios, Android, Web.
- Can I use Windy for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Windy best used for?
- Windy is most often used for weather analysis, flight planning, wind pattern analysis, meteorological research. Of those, weather analysis and flight planning are not what AirVisual is typically brought in for.
- What can Windy do that AirVisual cannot?
- Windy covers Weather visualization, Wind forecasts, Precipitation maps, Interactive charts. AirVisual covers Global AQI coverage, 3-day forecasts, Health recommendations, City rankings. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.