Head to head
AccuWeather vs Open-Meteo
As a weather API, Open-Meteo rates higher on the APIbenchmarks Index, 79.3 to 72.5, a 6.8-point gap. Here is how they compare on each criterion.
Criterion by criterion
| Criterion | AccuWeather | Open-Meteo |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | ||
| Reliability | ||
| Ecosystem & SDKs | ||
| Accessibility | ||
| APIbenchmarks Index | 72.5 | 79.3 |
Specifications
| AccuWeather | Open-Meteo | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Brand-name meteorological data | Free open-source weather API |
| Free tier | 14-day trial, 500 req/day (Core) | 10k calls/day, no key (non-commercial) |
| Pricing | Tiered packages (from $2-$25/mo) | Free non-commercial / per-call commercial |
| Official SDKs | 7 languages | 7 languages |
Is AccuWeather better than Open-Meteo?
On the APIbenchmarks Index, Open-Meteo rates higher (79.3 vs 72.5). It leads on the four weighted criteria, but price is reported separately, so the best choice still depends on your budget.
Verdict in one line
Open-Meteo leads by 6.8 points (79.3 vs 72.5) and wins 3 of 4 criteria; AccuWeather wins 1.
Winner by criterion
| Criterion | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | 72 | 82 | |
| Reliability | 84 | 66 | |
| Ecosystem & SDKs | 70 | 76 | |
| Accessibility | 62 | 96 |
Choose AccuWeather if… / choose Open-Meteo if…
- →reliability matters most to you (84 vs 66)
- →your use case matches its focus: brand-name meteorological data
- →documentation & dx matters most to you (82 vs 72)
- →ecosystem & sdks matters most to you (76 vs 70)
- →accessibility matters most to you (96 vs 62)
- →your use case matches its focus: free open-source weather api
Pricing side by side
- Model
- Tiered packages (from $2-$25/mo)
- Free tier
- 14-day trial, 500 req/day (Core)
- Free Trial$0 (14 days)
- Starter$2/mo
- Standard$25/mo
- Prime$250/mo
- Elite$500/mo
- EnterpriseCustom (contact sales)
- Model
- Free non-commercial / per-call commercial
- Free tier
- 10k calls/day, no key (non-commercial)
- Free / Open-Access (non-commercial)$0
- API Standard$29/mo
- API Professional$99/mo
- API EnterpriseCustom (contact info@open-meteo.com)
Vendor-published pricing, verified 2026-06-27 (AccuWeather) and 2026-06-27 (Open-Meteo).
SDK and language coverage
Both · 2
Python (community: bieniu/accuweather, accuweather-client)Java
Only AccuWeather · 5
REST/HTTP (any language)JavaScript/Node.js (community examples, axios)PHPGoHome Assistant integration
Only Open-Meteo · 5
TypeScriptSwiftKotlinR (community)Dart (community)
Strengths and weaknesses
- +Independently validated accuracy, ForecastWatch studies (120M+ forecasts) repeatedly rank it #1 vs The Weather Channel, Weather Underground, Foreca, and Dark Sky
- +Deep data catalog: RealFeel temperature, 70+ forecast parameters, MinuteCast minute-by-minute precipitation, government-sourced severe alerts, imagery/radar, and tropical data
- +Long forecast horizons, up to 15 days self-serve and 90 days on enterprise
- –Discontinued permanent free Core Weather API access in 2025, drawing developer backlash and forcing former free users onto paid plans
- –Mandatory location-key workflow doubles call consumption, every forecast needs a prior Locations API lookup, and docs discourage hard-coding keys
- –Markedly more expensive than OpenWeatherMap and other rivals for comparable volume
- +No API key or account required for non-commercial use, a single HTTP GET returns JSON
- +Blends 30+ models from 15+ national weather services and auto-selects the best local high-res model per coordinate
- +Exceptionally broad data: forecast, historical (1940-present), marine, air quality, solar/PV, ensemble, seasonal, flood, climate
- –Model data only, no real station observations, so no validated actuals or hyperlocal radar nowcasting
- –Free tier rate limits (600/min, 5k/hr, 10k/day) frustrate some developers with bursty workloads
- –Commercial use legally requires a paid plan even at low volumes
AccuWeather vs Open-Meteo: questions
- Which has better documentation, AccuWeather or Open-Meteo?
- Open-Meteo scores higher on documentation and developer experience: 82 vs 72 out of 100.
- Which is more reliable, AccuWeather or Open-Meteo?
- AccuWeather scores higher on reliability: 84 vs 66 out of 100.
- Do AccuWeather and Open-Meteo have a free tier?
- AccuWeather: yes (14-day trial, 500 req/day (Core)). Open-Meteo: yes (10k calls/day, no key (non-commercial)).
- How are AccuWeather and Open-Meteo priced?
- AccuWeather: Tiered packages (from $2-$25/mo). Open-Meteo: Free non-commercial / per-call commercial.
- Which has more official SDKs?
- Both list 7 official SDKs.