Weather & Environment · head to head
Windy vs Carrot Weather
Windy
Weather & Environment
Advanced weather visualization and forecasting platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Carrot Weather
Weather & Environment
Hilariously accurate weather app with personality
- 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; Carrot Weather most advanced weather data sources (AccuWeather, The Weather Channel, Aeris Weather, Netatmo personal stations) and map layers (lightning, alerts, wind, humidity, dew point, snow depth) are locked behind paid Premium/Ultrapremium Club subscriptions, not included in the base app
- They diverge on capability: Windy covers Weather visualization, Carrot Weather covers Personality modes.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Windy and Carrot Weather actually diverge.
| Attribute | Windy | Carrot Weather |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | Unknown |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | iOS, Android, macOS |
| Founded | 2014 | 2013 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Carrot Weather
- Personality modes
- Multiple data sources
- Custom layouts
- Secret locations
- Snarky commentary
- Apple Watch
- Siri shortcuts
- Widgets
Both cover
- Ios support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Windy
- Weather analysisnot Carrot Weather
- Flight planningnot Carrot Weather
- Wind pattern analysisnot Carrot Weather
- Meteorological researchnot Carrot Weather
Carrot Weather
- Checking current, hourly, and daily weather forecasts with a humorous AI personalitynot Windy
- Viewing radar, storm cell, and weather alert mapsnot Windy
- Receiving push notifications for rain, lightning, or storm cells (premium)not Windy
- Tracking historical weather data (up to 70 years back) or long-range forecasts via the 'weather time machine' featurenot Windy
- Using Apple Watch complications/widgets for at-a-glance forecastsnot 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
Carrot Weather
- Most advanced weather data sources (AccuWeather, The Weather Channel, Aeris Weather, Netatmo personal stations) and map layers (lightning, alerts, wind, humidity, dew point, snow depth) are locked behind paid Premium/Ultrapremium Club subscriptions, not included in the base app
- Background Apple Watch updates for premium data sources require an active subscription
- Pricing for named tiers (Premium Club, Premium Ultra, Premium Family) is disclosed only via in-app purchase screens rather than a public pricing page with fixed dollar figures
- Mac App Store listing shows a separate $14.99 one-time purchase price for macOS, a different pricing model than the free-to-download iOS/Android version
Pricing, plan by plan
Windy
Free- FreeFree
- Weather maps
- Wind forecasts
- Precipitation data
- Premium$5.99/month
- Advanced models
- Historical data
- API access
Carrot Weather
Free- Premium Club$undefined/mo
- Additional data sources and map layers
- Ultrapremium Club$undefined/mo
- Full data sources, map layers, notifications
- Premium Family$undefined/mo
- Shares Premium/Ultrapremium across up to 5 family members
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 Carrot Weather if
- You need personality modes.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, macOS.
- You also want multiple data sources.
Questions people ask
- Is Windy or Carrot Weather better?
- Neither clearly leads. Windy starts at Free and Carrot Weather at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Windy or Carrot Weather?
- Windy starts at Free and Carrot Weather at Free.
- Does Windy or Carrot Weather run on more platforms?
- Windy runs on Web, Ios, Android. Carrot Weather runs on iOS, Android, macOS.
- 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 Carrot Weather is typically brought in for.
- What can Windy do that Carrot Weather cannot?
- Windy covers Weather visualization, Wind forecasts, Precipitation maps, Interactive charts. Carrot Weather covers Personality modes, Multiple data sources, Custom layouts, Secret locations. Both handle Ios support.