Weather APIs exploded exponentially in 2022 and are expected only to keep growing in 2023 and the upcoming years.
Global weather data is likely essential if your application involves outdoor activities, for instance, Mining, Travel, Sports, Construction, etc. While a colossal stack of weather APIs is available, finding the right features at an affordable price, or even for free, can be dramatically challenging.
To tailor that developer experience without breaking your budget, we have curated a list of the top weather APIs available on the web, including free and paid options, to integrate into your application seamlessly.
This article will explore the top 7 best free weather forecast APIs with impressive uptime and reliable availability to access global weather forecast data in 2023. Let’s get into it!
Table of Contents
What is Weather Forecast API?
A Weather Forecast API is an interface for accessing weather data programmatically. The best weather apps enable developers to integrate real-time and forecasted weather information into their applications, websites, and services, enhancing user experiences and enabling weather-based functionalities.
Data types that can be retrieved through Weather Forecast APIs include:
- Current weather conditions (temperature, humidity, wind speed, etc.)
- Forecasts for specific time ranges (temperature, precipitation, wind, etc.)
- Historical weather data
- Severe weather alerts and warnings
- UV index and air quality information
- Sunrise and sunset times
- Weather radar and satellite imagery
Moreover, some APIs also offer additional features like weather maps, time zone information, and astronomy data.
Top 7 Free Weather Forecast APIs You Can Count to Achieve Best Developer Experience
Weatherstack
Weatherstack API is developed by a UK company that excels in SaaS with companies. It aims primarily at websites and mobile apps looking to include a live weather widget at minimum cost. Additionally, it offers real-time, international, and historical weather for any location worldwide. This API lets you access current weather conditions, including humidity, temperature, precipitation, and wind speed. Moreover, you can recover historical weather data, forecast for the next 7 days, and perform location-specific weather queries.
Features:
- One of the standout features of Weatherstack API is its extensive coverage of global locations, ensuring that you can access weather information from virtually any corner of the world.
- The API supports multiple languages and units of measurement and provides data in both JSON and XML formats.
- Weatherstack API provides a reliable and easy-to-use solution for accessing weather data.
Price
Regarding pricing, Weatherstack offers a range of plans suitable for different users. It has a free plan that provides 250 free calls, access to weather data, limited requests per month, and no historical data. For more advanced features and increased usage, they offer paid plans at a competitive price, providing additional benefits such as higher request limits, historical data, and premium support.
OpenWeatherMap API
OpenWeatherMap API is popular among developers due to its extensive coverage and comprehensive weather data. It offers many features, including current weather, forecasts, historical data, and weather maps.
Features:
- OpenWeatherMap API lets you obtain present weather conditions, including precipitation, temperature, wind speed, humidity, and more.
- It also provides 5-day and 16-day long-term forecasts, enabling you to plan. The API supports multilingual data, allowing you to retrieve weather information in various languages.
- It provides a reliable weather data source for various applications, ranging from mobile apps and websites to IoT devices and smart homes.
Price
In terms of pricing, OpenWeatherMap offers free and paid plans, depending on the plan and the level of access required.
Weatherbit API
Weatherbit API is a service that provides access to weather data through an API. It offers various weather-related information that authorizes developers to recover current weather conditions & forecasts, historical weather data, and more. Some of its features are historical weather information, access for up to 16 days, retrieval of real-time weather data, and more.
Features:
- Unparalleled Forecast Accuracy
- Hyperlocal Weather
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
Price
Weatherbit offers a free tier, subscription plans, and enterprise plans.
AccuWeather APIs
AccuWeather API provides access to their weather data and services. These APIs allow developers to integrate AccuWeather’s weather report into their websites, applications, or services.
Features
- Global coverage
- Current conditions
- Hourly forecasts
- Daily forecasts
Price
AccuWeather offers free and paid plans.
Tomorrow.io API
Tomorrow.io provides weather data and services through their Tomorrow.io API. It has advanced weather forecasting powers, including historical weather data, minute-by-minute weather forecasts, and severe weather alerts. In addition, it delivers high-resolution weather information for global locations.
Features
- Fast, reliable, and hyper-accurate
- Cutting-edge interfaces
Price
Free and paid plans.
Visual Crossing API
The Visual Crossing API offers low-cost, instant access to historical weather records, weather forecast data, and high performance. The available weather conditions include temperature, rainfall, wind speed, perceived temperature, pressure, humidity, and more. Each API call lets numerous places in every request to maximize efficiency and minimize your expense.
Features
- Single API Call
- 50+ Years of Historical Weather Data
- Sub-hourly, Hourly, and Daily Data
Price
Up to 1000 records daily for free, including 15-day forecasts, current conditions, and the 50-year history. The higher rate plans begin at $35 monthly.
Weather Company API
The Weather Company API provides weather data and services for developers to integrate into their applications, websites, or services. It presents comprehensive weather data access for applications and websites.
Features
- Real-time weather data
- CSV and JSON Results
- Full location address geocoding
How to use Weather APIs on a website
Integrating weather APIs into a website is relatively straightforward. Here are the general steps to follow:
- Obtain an API key: Sign up for the desired weather API provider and obtain an API key.
- Understand the API documentation: Familiarize yourself with the API documentation provided by the chosen API. The documentation will explain how to make API requests, the available endpoints, and the response format.
- Make API requests: Use the API key in your requests to authenticate and access weather data. The requests will typically include parameters such as location coordinates or a city name to specify the location for which you want weather data.
- Parse the API response: Once you make a request to the API, you will receive a response containing the weather data. Parse the response to extract the relevant information, such as current temperature, forecast, or weather conditions.
- Display the weather information: Use the parsed data to display the weather information on your website. This can be done by designing a user-friendly interface and incorporating the weather data into the appropriate sections of your website.
- Handle errors and exceptions: Weather APIs may sometimes return errors or exceptions. Make sure to handle these cases gracefully by displaying error messages or providing alternative weather information.
- Refresh the data: Weather conditions can change rapidly, so it’s essential to periodically refresh the data displayed on your website. You can set up a schedule or use event triggers to update the weather information at regular intervals.
By following these steps and referring to the API documentation, you can effectively integrate weather APIs into your website and provide real-time and accurate weather information to your users.
How to get an API Key
To access these weather forecast APIs, you typically need to sign up on the respective provider’s website and obtain an API key. The API key is a unique identifier that authenticates your requests and allows you to access the API’s features. Each API provider has its own registration process, which usually involves creating an account, providing some basic information, and agreeing to the terms of service. Once you have registered, you will receive an API key that you can use to make requests to the API.
Why Weatherstack Is the Best Free Weather API in 2023?
Trusted by 75,000 companies worldwide, weatherstack is the #1 leading developer-friendly, real-time weather data API allowing you to get instant data of any geo-point in the world in super lightweight JSON format.
Here is why you must choose weatherstack:
- Reliable and Accurate Data: Weatherstack provides reliable and accurate weather data, ensuring the information you receive is of high quality.
- Global Coverage: The API offers global coverage, allowing you to access weather information for any location worldwide.
- Current Conditions: Retrieve real-time weather conditions, including temperature, humidity, wind speed, and more.
- Forecasts: Get detailed forecasts for upcoming days, including temperature trends, precipitation chances, and wind conditions.
- Historical Weather Data: Access historical weather information for analysis or research purposes.
- Time Zone Support: Weatherstack API provides time zone information for accurate local time conversions.
- Multiple Data Formats: The API supports multiple data formats, making it flexible for integration into various applications and platforms.
- Developer-Friendly: Weatherstack offers comprehensive documentation, SDKs, and libraries to ease integration and provide a smooth development experience.
- Free Tier: The API provides a free tier that allows access to essential weather information, making it an ideal choice for developers on a budget. Tap here to try your free trial now!
- Responsive Support: Weatherstack offers responsive customer support to address any queries or concerns you may have during integration.
Bottom Line
Accessing global weather data has become easier with the availability of free weather forecast APIs. The top 7 APIs mentioned in this article, including weatherstack.com, OpenWeatherMap API, Forecast.io API, AccuWeather APIs, Tomorrow.io API, Visual Crossing API, and The Weather Company API, offer a wide range of weather information and features.
By obtaining an API key and following the documentation provided by these APIs, developers can seamlessly integrate weather data into their websites and applications, enhancing the user experience and providing valuable weather insights.
FAQs
Is there a free weather API for free?
Yes, there are free weather APIs available such as OpenWeatherMap and weatherstack.com.
Which is the best free weather API?
OpenWeatherMap API is often regarded as one of the best free weather APIs.
Is the Weather Channel API free?
The Weather Channel API is no longer free; it is a paid service now.
What is the free weather API for Python?
For Python, the Weatherstack, & OpenWeatherMap API is a popular choice as a free weather API.
