Your smartphone comes with a pre-downloaded weather app. It’s not bad. It’ll tell you what the temperature in your area is, as well as provide you with a tentative forecast for the rest of your day. If all you’re looking for is the bare minimum, your iPhone or Android weather app will definitely fulfill your needs.
But if you’re looking for a weather app that goes above and beyond—one that’ll show you live radar updates, that taps into an incredibly large station network, looks absolutely beautiful, or will give you the info on your allergies for the day—you’re going to have to look elsewhere. Out of the dozens upon dozens of options out there, these are 10 of the best weather apps:
Dark Sky
This app is the unequivocal, undisputed champion of the weather apps world. Not only is it beautifully designed, but it provides a wonderful user experience by being the hands-down most detailed weather app on the planet. Find out the atmospheric pressure in your area (down to the most minute measurement), or just sort out whether or not it’s going to rain. Dark Sky can predict with insane accuracy—up to an hour in advance—what the weather is going to be in your area, and can even get as granular as minute-by-minute updates. If you want tailored detail for your precise preferences, this is it. Unfortunately, when Apple acquired the weather app in 2020, it booted Dark Sky off Androids. So, iPhone users, this might very well be the best weather app available. Also, it’ll run you $3.99 for the download, but we think it’s worth every penny. iOS
AccuWeather
This free, accurate, and award-winning app is super popular among both iPhone and Android users, which makes its standout AccuCast feature all the more reliable. AccuCast allows app users to share their weather observations in real-time in order to ensure that you’re getting the minute-by-minute scoop on the weather from people experiencing it. And while it’s not as pinpoint accurate as Dark Sky, the app will still give you a solid update for up to two hours into the future, so you’re never left wondering what you can expect. iOS Android
CARROT Weather
We tend to be skeptical of apps that describe themselves as “hilarious.” We’re of the mindset that weather apps shouldn’t be funny. But, after testing out CARROT Weather, a 2021 Apple Design Award winner, we’ve been won over. Users can set the app’s “personality preference” so if you’d prefer a buttoned-up weather experience, CARROT delivers. Or, if you’d like a little snark and sarcasm with your forecast, you can get that too. While the quips are fun, we appreciate the streamlined, clean design of this weather app. And, best of all, the base app is free. Though it’s worth considering an upgrade to CARROT’s paid tier for further customization. iOS Android
The Weather Channel
It’d be criminal for us to put together a weather app roundup and not include one of the oldest and most popular apps in the world, The Weather Channel app. By far the most rated weather app on this list (over 2.9 million ratings in the Apple Apps Store, alone—4.7-star rating!), The Weather Channel app is essentially the gold standard. It features a sleek, attractive design that gives you what you need to know quickly and easily. It’ll give you the current weather and daily forecast down to the hour, as well as provide pinpoint weather radars so you can see what’s actually happening near you at all times. If you want simple, intuitive, and straight to the point, your search is over. iOS Android
NOAA Weather Radar – HD Radar & Weather Forecast
NOAA stands for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but this app is popular with more than just your local fishing crews and sailing enthusiasts. The NOAA Weather Radar – HD Radar & Weather Forecast made our list because its HD Radar and Satellite overlays are incredibly accurate and make it simple to identify rain, snow, or other precipitation (and even cloud cover) in a beautiful real-time display. Its built-in rain map provides a detailed rain forecast for up to 24 hours, and if you’re too busy to check out the maps, you can also receive push notifications to keep yourself up to date on any developing noteworthy weather alerts. iOS Android
Weather Live Free
The award for most beautiful design definitely belongs firmly with Weather Live. In fact, this weather app’s gorgeous, vivid display is its main selling point. It’ll allow you to add several locations all around the world, and to easily toggle from city to city. It’ll tell you the current forecast, as well as the 24-hour forecast and 7-day forecast, too. It even uses a real-time arrow-shaped indicator to reflect air pressure changes in your area. Oh, and it’ll tell you the phases of the moon, as well as your daily sunrise and sunset times. Honestly, the app itself is extremely straightforward, but it’s simply too beautiful not to include. iOS Android
Plume Labs
Over the past year or so, more and more of us have taken a vested interest in our city’s air quality. And Plume Labs is by far the best weather app for real-time air quality updates. With detailed mapping and up to 4-day forecasts, you can plan your exact routes to avoid areas of high air pollutants. Plus, Plume Labs offers up-to-the-minute notifications for those who need immediate air quality updates. Plume Labs is definitely the most niche weather app on this list but it provides exceptional info. Download this app along with one of the other weather apps for a comprehensive forecast in your area. iOS Android
WeatherBug
Another beautifully designed weather app, WeatherBug makes our list for its massive reference database. WeatherBug uses 18 different maps in order to create the most accurate and up-to-date real-time forecast available. It’ll tell you the current forecast, but will also give you hourly, and even daily (up to 10 days out) reports. You can get as specific as you’d like with widgets like the Spark Lightning Alert, which gives you minute-by-minute, mile-by-mile lightning proximity alerts, or simply grab the current weather to help you decide whether you should leave the house with a hoodie or not. Perhaps its best quality, however, is its price: FREE. iOS Android
Surfline
While you can find timely weather updates on all of the other apps on this list, Surfline specializes as one of the best weather apps for surfers and water sport enthusiasts. With Surfline you can track real-time forecasts over the water and a detailed analysis of the tides. Surfline includes over 700 surf cams allowing users to get a sneak peek of their favorite surf spots. And, best of all, the surf weather and forecast app is free on both iPhones and Android devices. iOS Android
Weather Underground
Weather Underground’s simple, intuitive UI looks more like a stock trading platform than a weather app, but that’s what makes it as great as it is. If you’re looking for no-frills design elements with super detailed reports (taken from a network of over 200,000 personal weather stations), this app is perfect. Not only will it give you the current temperature and forecast, but it’ll also compute everything from dew point, to humidity, air pressure, wind speed, and more. It also allows you to monitor things like air quality and UV risk, as well as things like local flu outbreaks. Oh, and it’ll give you a daily analysis of each day’s data, and how it compares with the same day throughout history. If you’re more into analytics and less into pretty pictures, go with this weather app. iOS Android
