The Best Weather Apps of 2024
Written by: BestApp.com App Testing Team - Updated: Feb 18, 2022
If you’re looking for a weather app that offers more than your phone’s native weather app, we recommend The Weather Channel thanks to its accurate 15-minute forecasts, two-week forecasts, well-designed widgets, and other useful features. But if The Weather Channel doesn’t suit your needs, we found nine other great apps to try. Here are the 10 best weather apps on iOS and Android.
Top 10 Weather Apps to Try
- The Weather Channel — Top Pick
- Yahoo Weather — Best Free Weather App
- AccuWeather — Best for Live Forecasts
- Dark Sky — Best Weather App for iPhone
- Carrot Weather — Most Fun Weather App
- RadarScope — Best for Enthusiasts
- Weather Underground — Best for Local Forecasts
- Flowx — Best for Detailed Weekly Forecasts
- WeatherBug — Best for Lifestyle Forecasts
- 1Weather — Best for Health Information
How We Chose the Best Weather Apps
To choose the 10 best weather apps, we made sure to look for apps that offer a selection of key features that make it easy for users to customize their experience and find important information. The best weather apps should offer accurate hourly forecasts, weather radar, severe weather warnings, customizable notifications, and social sharing features.
Choose the weather app that’s right for you
Most of the apps on our list offer free versions for users to get started with. We recommend testing several apps to find the one with the features that meet your needs and preferences. Some apps like The Weather Channel are great all-in-one solutions for all users, while apps like Radarscope are better suited for enthusiasts and storm trackers.
Plan your week in advance
Many of the weather apps on our list offer powerful features that make it easy for users to plan their weekly activities. On top of viewing the current weather, you can use these apps to view forecasts for the weeks ahead, learn about allergens, and view your local air quality.
Our Weather App Reviews
The Weather Channel — Top Pick
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
The Weather Channel is our pick for the best weather app available thanks to its accurate forecasts and wide range of user-friendly features. Users can use the app to view local hourly, daily, and weekly forecasts. With a subscription, you can even view 15-minute forecasts to plan your day with more certainty. The Weather Channel also stands out due to its various high-quality widgets. Users can add radars, rain charts, forecasts, or the current weather to their home screen for easy reference. You can create personalized weather alerts, get severe weather alerts, and track seasonal allergies to help you stay healthy throughout the year.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Premium Pro: $4.99/month or $29.99/year
- Support available: Help Center, Email
| The Weather Channel Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Accurate short- and long-term forecasts | Ads in free version |
| High-quality widgets | Advanced radar only available with Premium |
Yahoo Weather — Best Free Weather App
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Yahoo Weather is a high-quality weather app that, unlike any other app on our list, offers all of its features for free with no in-app purchases or subscriptions. Users can view accurate hourly, five-day, and 10-day forecasts and details about wind, pressure, and chance of precipitation. The app features animated sunrise, sunset, wind, and pressure modules, and users can browse interactive maps and radar data for more in-depth weather analysis. You can add multiple cities to your account, and you can set up notifications to receive important weather alerts. Yahoo Weather also includes air quality information but unfortunately does not include a pollen or allergen tracker.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: None
- Support available: Help Center, Live Expert Help
| Yahoo Weather Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Completely free to use | No pollen or allergen forecasts |
| Ad-free | |
| Accurate hourly, five-day, and 10-day forecasts | |
AccuWeather — Best for Live Forecasts
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
AccuWeather is one of the best and most popular weather apps on iOS and Android. AccuWeather stands out from other weather apps because of its accurate live forecasts, which include minute-by-minute weather and precipitation updates. Local weather forecasts let you view the temperature, the allergy outlook, and severe weather alerts, while unique features like WinterCasts give you advanced warning of the probability of snowfall and accumulation levels. AccuWeather’s RealFeel feature gives you a more accurate idea of how the weather conditions actually feel. The app also offers advanced weather radar that includes tropical storm tracking, 24-hour snowfall forecasts, temperature contour maps, and more.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Premium: $0.99/month or $8.99/year
- Support available: Help Center, Contact Us Form
| AccuWeather Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Live weather forecasts | Ads included |
| Advanced weather radars | Minute-by-minute forecasts require Premium |
| RealFeel forecasts | |
Dark Sky — Best Weather App for iPhone
Download: iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Owned by Apple, Dark Sky is the best weather app for iPhone since it offers several great features not included in the iPhone’s native weather app. Dark Sky offers forecasts for your precise location, allowing you to view minute-by-minute predictions for the next hour and hour-by-hour forecasts for the next week. The app features a clean interface with great weather and radar animations. One of Dark Sky’s standout features is its advanced notification options, which allow users to turn on up-to-the-minute alerts before it starts raining at their exact location. You can also create your own custom notifications and receive severe weather alerts. Dark Sky offers the unique Time Machine feature, which lets users explore weather in the past or future.
Notable features:
- One-time purchase: $3.99
- Support available: Help Center
| Dark Sky Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Forecasts for your precise location | No sharing features |
| Minute-by-minute notifications | No free version (costs $3.99) |
| Time Machine lets you view past weather | Not available on Android |
Carrot Weather — Most Fun Weather App
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Carrot Weather takes a unique approach by delivering the weather in a fun and lighthearted way. Carrot Weather offers a number of one-of-a-kind features, including the option for users to film their own weather report videos. You can also follow clues in the app to discover 90+ secret locations and unlock 60+ achievements. For users who want to personalize their experience, Carrot Weather lets you choose from five personalities for CARROT — the built-in robot that delivers the weather. Carrot Weather is also extremely customizable, letting users create their own layout configurations and set up custom notifications.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Premium: $4.99/month or $19.99/year
- Support available: FAQ’s, Email
| Carrot Weather Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Games and challenges | Premium subscription needed for notifications |
| Customizable layout | |
| Different AI personalities | |
RadarScope — Best for Enthusiasts
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
RadarScope is the best app on our list for weather enthusiasts and storm chasers. Unlike most weather apps, RadarScope lets users view National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Next Generation Radar (NEXRAD) Level 3 and super-resolution radar data, and users can receive tornado, severe thunderstorm, flash flood, and special marine and snow squall warnings issued by the National Weather Service. Users can browse a list of active warnings, select a warning to view the details, and view warnings on the map. However, although RadarScope does offer great features for storm and weather tracking, it does not offer the standard hourly and weekly forecasts offered by other weather apps.
Notable features:
- Free version not available
- In-app purchases: $0.99 – $99.99 per item
- Support available: Guides, Email
| RadarScope Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| NEXRAD Level 3 radar data | Lacking hourly forecasts |
| Severe weather warnings | No customizable notifications |
| Access to 289 radars | No free version |
Weather Underground — Best for Local Forecasts
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Weather Underground is the best weather app for accurate hyperlocal forecasts. Unlike any other app on our list, Weather Underground combines data from more than 250,000 weather stations and a proprietary forecast model to deliver accurate hyperlocal forecasts at a microclimate level. Users can view hourly, daily, and 10-day forecasts; wind speeds; wind direction; humidity; and other important weather information. The app also features an interactive NEXRAD radar, severe weather warnings, and weather visualizations with high-resolution satellite and cloud cover imagery. You can also use Weather Underground to monitor local flu outbreaks, view local air quality, and more.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Premium: $3.99/month or $19.99/year
- Support available: Help Center, Email
| Weather Underground Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Accurate hyperlocal forecasts | Subscription required for extended forecasts |
| Interactive NEXRAD radar | |
| Mapping of local flu outbreaks | |
Flowx — Best for Detailed Weekly Forecasts
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★
Flowx is another great option for enthusiasts interested in detailed radars and weather maps. Flowx provides users with a variety of charts, maps, and radars presented in an animated timeline. Users can select data from 30+ data types and 20+ forecast models, and you can view hurricane tracks, sunrise and sunset times, and radar reflectivity. Flowx offers the most detailed weekly and 10-day forecasts out of any apps on our list, and users can add data layers to customize their experience. Unlike other apps, Flowx also offers graph widgets, so users can access detailed weather information on their home screens. The app’s free version is ad-free, and by upgrading, you can access additional features and data types, including radar reflectivity, and Icosahedral Nonhydrostatic (ICON) global forecast models. It’s also worth noting that Flowx offers particularly strong privacy — the app doesn’t require location permissions, there are no third-party tracking libraries, and they don’t sell or share data with anyone.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: $1.99 – $19.99 per item
- Support available: Help Center
| Flowx Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Detailed weekly forecasts | Not available on iOS |
| Customizable graphs, radars, and maps | No severe weather alerts |
| Strong privacy | |
WeatherBug — Best for Lifestyle Forecasts
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
WeatherBug is a popular real-time weather forecasting app with a wide range of useful features. WeatherBug’s unique Lifestyle Forecasts help users understand how the weather will impact trips, workouts, allergies, chronic pain, and more. You can also view real-time forecasts, add weather widgets to your home screen, and create weather alerts. WeatherBug also provides powerful tracking tools, including hurricane forecasts, Doppler radar, lightning proximity alerts, fire data, and winter weather forecasts. Unlike any other weather app, WeatherBug makes it easy to plan your days by providing real-time traffic information in addition to air quality and pollen data.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Ad-Free Subscription: $0.99/month or $9.99/year
- Support available: Email
| WeatherBug Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Real-time traffic information | Excessive ads |
| Lifestyle Forecasts | Limited widget options |
| Interactive maps and live radars | |
1Weather — Best for Health Information
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
1Weather is a feature-rich weather app that shines when it comes to delivering important health and allergy information. The app gives users access to key health data, including accurate air quality information, the pollen count, pollutants, including PM10, which is particulate matter generally smaller than 10 micrometers, and health advice. You can also view temperature, hourly snow and rain information, live radars, and hyperlocal severe weather warnings. 1Weather offers a storm tracking feature for enthusiasts, and you can access other weather data, including ultraviolet (UV) rating, visibility information, wind speed, and atmospheric pressure. The app offers all of its core features for free, and users can pay $1.99 to remove ads.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In-app purchases: $1.99 per item
- Support available: Help Center
| 1Weather Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Accurate health information | Ads included |
| Hyperlocal severe weather warnings | |
| Live radars | |
Weather Apps: Features Summary Table
| Weather Apps Comparison Table | ||
|---|---|---|
| App | Subscription Fees or In-App Purchases | Features |
| The Weather Channel — Top Pick | Premium Pro: $4.99/month or $29.99/annual | ✓ Hourly Forecast ✓ Radar ✓ Severe Weather Warning ✓ Customizable Notifications ✓ Social Sharing |
| Yahoo Weather — Best Free Weather App | None | ✓ Hourly Forecast ✓ Radar ✓ Severe Weather Warning ✓ Customizable Notifications ✓ Social Sharing |
| AccuWeather — Best for Live Forecasts | Premium: $0.99/month or $8.99/year | ✓ Hourly Forecast ✓ Radar ✓ Severe Weather Warning ✓ Customizable Notifications ✓ Social Sharing |
| Dark Sky — Best Weather App for iPhone | None | ✓ Hourly Forecast ✓ Radar ✓ Severe Weather Warning ✓ Customizable Notifications X Social Sharing |
| Carrot Weather — Most Fun Weather App | Premium: $4.99/month or $19.99/year | ✓ Hourly Forecast ✓ Radar ✓ Severe Weather Warning ✓ Customizable Notifications ✓ Social Sharing |
| RadarScope — Best for Enthusiasts | $0.99 – $99.99 per item | X Hourly Forecast ✓ Radar ✓ Severe Weather Warning X Customizable Notifications ✓ Social Sharing |
| Weather Underground — Best for Local Forecasts | Premium: $3.99/month or $19.99/year | ✓ Hourly Forecast ✓ Radar ✓ Severe Weather Warning ✓ Customizable Notifications ✓ Social Sharing |
| Flowx — Best for Detailed Weekly Forecasts | $1.99 – $19.99 per item | ✓ Hourly Forecast ✓ Radar X Severe Weather Warning X Customizable Notifications X Social Sharing |
| WeatherBug — Best for Lifestyle Forecasts | Ad-Free Subscription: $0.99/month or $9.99/year | ✓ Hourly Forecast ✓ Radar ✓ Severe Weather Warning ✓ Customizable Notifications ✓ Social Sharing |
| 1Weather — Best for Health Information | $1.99 per item | ✓ Hourly Forecast ✓ Radar ✓ Severe Weather Warning ✓ Customizable Notifications ✓ Social Sharing |