Weather APIs Terms Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of free tiers, rate limits, and usage restrictions for 6 weather apis.
Terms of service may change. Always verify with the official API documentation before building production applications.
| API | Free Tier | Rate Limit | Commercial | Attribution | Auth | CORS | Caching | Notable Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenWeatherMap | 60 calls/min, current weather, 5-day forecast | 60 calls/min (free), 3,000 calls/min (paid) | ✓ | Req | API Key (query parameter) | Yes | Yes | Free tier limited to current weather and 5-day forecast only |
| WeatherAPI | 1M calls/month, 3-day forecast | 1M calls/month (free) | ✓ | Req | API Key (query parameter) | Yes | Yes | Free plan limited to 3-day forecast and no historical data |
| Open-Meteo | Unlimited for non-commercial use | 10,000 calls/day (free non-commercial) | ✓ | Req | None (API Key optional for commercial) | Yes | Yes | Commercial use requires paid API subscription |
| Weatherstack | 250 calls/month, current weather only | 250 calls/month (free) | ✕ | Req | API Key (query parameter) | No | Yes | Free plan: HTTP only (no HTTPS), current weather only, no forecast |
| AccuWeather | 50 calls/day, limited endpoints | 50 calls/day (free) | ✕ | Req | API Key (query parameter) | Yes | No | Strict branding requirements; commercial use requires enterprise license |
| AQICN (World Air Quality Index) | Unlimited for non-commercial use | 1,000 calls/second (reasonable use) | ✕ | Req | API Key (query parameter) | Yes | Yes | Non-commercial use only; contact for commercial licensing |
Attribution Details
OpenWeatherMap: Must display 'Powered by OpenWeatherMap' with link
WeatherAPI: Attribution required on free plan with logo display
Open-Meteo: Must credit Open-Meteo as data source
Weatherstack: Weatherstack branding required on free tier
AccuWeather: Must display AccuWeather logo and link to AccuWeather.com
AQICN (World Air Quality Index): Must attribute to World Air Quality Index project
Last updated: 2026-04