Many weather apps are not only as accurate as possible but offer additional features, such as radar, future-casts, and beautiful graphics. Choosing the right one can be difficult since there are numerous options to choose from. You’re bound to find that right one in this list of the best weather apps for Android and iPhone.
Note: if you’re here because you are looking for a Dark Sky alternative, you’re in the right place. Apple made Dark Sky an exclusive iOS app in 2020. However, Apple’s now creating their very own weather app, and Dark Sky is being completely discontinued in 2022.
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1. Weather & Radar
An aptly named weather app providing both simple and detailed forecasts.
Weather & Radar provides one of the best future radars among free weather apps. While the full screen ad upon opening is annoying, the forecasts are accurate, and the app itself is easy to navigate. Tapping an hour or day will give you more details, or skip ahead to view graphical charts. Plus, you can get notifications about weather news, upcoming changes (such as temperature drops), and quick 90-minute weather details.
Pros:
- An all-in-one app with news, forecasts, radar, and alerts
- Detailed hourly forecasts (includes pressure, dew point, feels like, wind, precipitation chance, and temperature)
- Future radar up to four days
Cons:
- Radar colors are off from other apps (e.g. rain is blue versus the usual green, making it easy to confuse with snow when you’re a new user)
- Includes ads, with a full-screen ad upon opening, without a subscription
Upgrading gets rid of all ads and costs $0.99/month or $8.49/year.
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2. Yr
Beautifully designed for ease of use while looking great at the same time.
Yr is designed by the Norwegian Weather Agency but can be used anywhere in the world. It’s beautifully designed, letting you swipe across a nicely-animated sky to check the weather on different days and at different times of the day.
Pros:
- Ad-free and doesn’t require location data
- Visual hour-by-hour scrolling forecasts
- Sky, table, and graph forecast layouts
Cons:
- No radar
- Updates aren’t as frequent as claimed (supposedly every seven minutes, but they can take up to an hour at times)
Beyond the nice design, it has plenty of great features too. You can get updates on air pollution and pollen spread in your area and opt in to receive notifications whenever there will be rain in the next 90 minutes. Yr has a great prediction model and is completely free and ad-free, thanks to being government-funded.
3. Today Weather
Simple, beautiful, and accurate weather app with multiple weather data sources.
Today Weather is easy to navigate without being too cluttered, like some weather apps. Never get caught off-guard with 24-hour forecasts, alerts, and radar. The quick-view widget also gives you a nice overview of your day. However, for the best experience, premium is better and ad-free. For instance, Here.com, Accuweather, and Dark Sky forecasts are premium only.
Pros:
- Choose forecasts from multiple sources, such as Accuweather, Dark Sky, Here.com, Weatherbit.io, and more
- Includes radar and alerts
- Offers over 20 customizable widgets
Cons:
- Includes ads and in-app purchases
- You’ll need to play around with forecast sources to find the most accurate one for your area
Try the free version and upgrade to premium if you’d like for $1.99 for six months, $2.99/year, or $8.99/lifetime.
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4. Weather & Widget – Weawow
Incredibly stunning weather photography mixes with easy-to-navigate forecasts.
Weather & Widget, also called Weawow, is a rare gem among weather apps. It’s not only free and ad-free, but the user photos make the app beautiful to use. You can even upload and sell your own. Daily and ongoing notifications help you avoid any surprises. Multiple widgets along with a customizable layout and radar ensure this app looks and functions the way you want it to.
Pros:
- No ads and completely free
- Features actual weather/nature photos from Weawow users
- Offers multiple forecast sources
Cons:
- Asks for location data to provide to third-parties, but it’s not required
While the app is completely free to use, the developer does ask that you donate if you like the app. Choose one-time or monthly donations of $2, $5, or $10. You can also donate a custom amount via PayPal.
5. The Weather Channel
One of the most well-known and reliable weather apps for both Android and iOS.
The Weather Channel is one of the most recognizable names in weather. While it offers all the basics of radar, daily/hourly forecasts, and alerts, the real standout is the weather videos and forecasts. See forecasts from The Weather Channel meteorologists for your region and weather videos from around the world.
Pros:
- Includes video forecasts and weather stories (text and video)
- Has seasonal weather sections
- Provides detailed hourly forecasts (temp, feels like temp, precipitation, humidity, UV index, wind, and cloud cover)
Cons:
- Lots of ads
- Some of the best features are premium only
Sadly, the app is filled with ads between every section and before and after videos. The premium version is $4.99/month or $29.99/year. The fee removes ads and provides 96-hour hourly forecasts, 24-hour future radar, and more.
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6. AccuWeather
With minute-by-minute forecasts, you’ll never be caught off guard.
AccuWeather works well for keeping you updated minute by minute with MinuteCast. This is ideal for areas where weather may change quickly. The layout is less overwhelming than Weather Channel, though many of the features are similar. While the extended forecasts are nice, they’re not always the most accurate, which is true for most weather apps that provide two weeks of forecasts in advance.
Pros:
- Minute by minute forecasts
- Detailed daily forecasts
- Includes weather stories from AccuWeather forecasters
Cons:
- Includes ads without premium
- Temperatures, especially feels-like temps, are sometimes wrong compared to other weather apps
The ads are intrusive but manageable. You can remove the ads for $8.99/year, which adds ten more days of forecasts and two days of hourly forecasts. If you want an app that gives you a great overview of the day before you go out, this is it.
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7. Firstscreen Weather
Available on: Android
The weather app with a really long name but impressive forecasts and features.
Firstscreen Weather: Digital Artery, Weather App, Climatic Armor – The Weather App offers in-depth weather forecasts that include wind, UV, humidity, precipitation, pressure, and visibility. You also get hour-by-hour forecasts and comparisons to the previous day. Colorful graphics help you quickly see the weather for the week ahead at a glance. Plus, you get the bonus of an easy-to-use radar and conditions for various lifestyle activities and allergies.
Pros:
- Detailed forecasts hour by hour
- Offers comparisons to yesterday
- Includes Lifestyle Weather Index (shows conditions for outdoor cardio, walking the dog, etc.)
Cons:
- Asks for many permissions
- Includes ads in the free plan (cost or subscription not disclosed within app)
However, in-app purchases are listed as $9.99, but the app itself doesn’t explain how much a premium subscription costs or what the benefits are.
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8. Overdrop
Easy-to-use and customizable weather app with colorful themes.
Overdrop lets you plan ahead with 24-hour and weekly forecasts. See what’s coming with an impressive 96-hour future radar. You can also customize the appearance, which is a bonus. The hyperlocal data ensures you don’t get caught by surprise. Of course, alerts mean you don’t have to constantly check your phone for weather changes. One thing that really sets Overdrop apart from the rest is an impressive 51 widgets.
Pros:
- Offers four weather providers (Weather Bit, Dark Sky, Open Weather Map, AccuWeather)
- Customize with different themes
- Detailed forecasts for the 7-day forecast
Cons:
- Many features are premium only
- Includes ads (though less than many similar apps)
To unlock all widgets, get more themes, see the rain and humidity radar, remove ads, and customize weather notifications, you’ll have to upgrade to Overdrop Pro for $1.49/month, $7.99/year, or $14.99/lifetime.
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9. WeatherBug
One of the most feature-rich weather apps and ideal for commuters.
WeatherBug is a veteran among weather apps, especially for providing hyperlocal forecasts, thanks to working with local weather reporting stations near your area. What really sets the app apart are the 20 map layers to see just the type of weather information you want most. Plus, for commuters, get a detailed look at current and upcoming conditions along with traffic cameras.
Pros:
- Offers 20 different map layers
- Includes weather videos, including future outlooks
- Provides commuter weather details and lightning strike warnings
Cons:
- The Now page can feel like endless scrolling due to the amount of information and ads
- A lot of ads between sections unless you upgrade to premium
The app is ad-heavy, which can make it clunky to use. You can upgrade to remove ads for $0.99/month or $9.99/year.
10. Weather Underground
One of the best hyperlocal weather apps, thanks to data from over 250,000 personal weather stations.
Weather Underground prides itself on hyper-local forecasts by partnering with personal weather stations. While there are ads, they’re not overly intrusive. Detailed forecasts for the day, week, or even hour help keep you thoroughly prepared. Get more details on what’s coming by checking out the included weather videos and news. There was once a blog, but it hasn’t been updated in over a year.
Pros:
- Get weather forecasts from local weather stations
- Create customized forecasts for your activities (premium only)
- Detailed forecasts in graphical form
Cons:
- Premium upgrade required to see 15-day forecast (10-day included in free plan)
- Weather videos and news stories are slow to load
You can remove ads and get 15-day forecasts for $3.99/year or $19.99/month.
Also read: The Best Weather Widgets for Your Website
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it worth paying for a weather app?
It depends solely on your needs. Many weather app subscriptions only get rid of ads or give you a few extra features at most. If you don’t mind the ads, you can usually get all you need out of a free app.
2. Why doesn’t my weather app agree with my local news forecast?
Weather apps pull their data from various sources, which will vary from your local news forecast. If available, consider downloading your local news weather app. They don’t always offer as many features but may give you most accurate forecasts for your area. Many local weather apps pull some data from The Weather Channel.
3. Should I use more than one weather app?
Many users prefer to use at least a couple of weather apps to get a more well-rounded forecast. For instance, I personally use my local news station’s weather app and Weather & Radar, as the forecasts vary slightly. The former gives me video forecasts, while the latter gives me more details for hourly and daily. However, this is a personal preference and nothing more.
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