Weather & Environment · head to head
Windy vs Ambient Weather Network
Windy
Weather & Environment
Advanced weather visualization and forecasting platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Ambient Weather Network
Weather & Environment
Connect your weather station to the cloud
- 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; Ambient Weather Network the App Store listing states the Ambient Weather Network app requires iOS 14.1 or later, and the underlying station apps (awnet, AmbientTool) are tied to specific discontinued hardware models.
- They diverge on capability: Windy covers Weather visualization, Ambient Weather Network covers Cloud connectivity.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Windy and Ambient Weather Network actually diverge.
| Attribute | Windy | Ambient Weather Network |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Founded | 2014 | 2003 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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
- Global weather models
- Satellite data
- Weather APIs
- Mobile platforms
Only in Ambient Weather Network
- Cloud connectivity
- Historical storage
- Alerts
- Public sharing
- Alexa
- Google Home
- IFTTT
- APIs
Both cover
- Real-time data
- 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 Ambient Weather Network
- Flight planningnot Ambient Weather Network
- Wind pattern analysisnot Ambient Weather Network
- Meteorological researchnot Ambient Weather Network
Ambient Weather Network
- Professional Worknot Windy
- Content Creationnot 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
Ambient Weather Network
- The App Store listing states the Ambient Weather Network app requires iOS 14.1 or later, and the underlying station apps (awnet, AmbientTool) are tied to specific discontinued hardware models.
Pricing, plan by plan
Windy
Free- FreeFree
- Weather maps
- Wind forecasts
- Precipitation data
- Premium$5.99/month
- Advanced models
- Historical data
- API access
Ambient Weather Network
Free- FreeFree
- Data upload
- Dashboard
- API access
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 Ambient Weather Network if
- You need cloud connectivity.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want historical storage.
Questions people ask
- Is Windy or Ambient Weather Network better?
- Neither clearly leads. Windy starts at Free and Ambient Weather Network at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Windy or Ambient Weather Network?
- Windy starts at Free and Ambient Weather Network at Free.
- Does Windy or Ambient Weather Network run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- 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 Ambient Weather Network is typically brought in for.
- What can Windy do that Ambient Weather Network cannot?
- Windy covers Weather visualization, Wind forecasts, Precipitation maps, Interactive charts. Ambient Weather Network covers Cloud connectivity, Historical storage, Alerts, Public sharing. Both handle Real-time data, Web support, Ios support, Android support.