Windy.com vs Zoom Earth
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Windy.com is the better app overall, scoring 9.0 to 8.6. Windy.com wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Zoom Earth on 1, with 1 tied.
Outdoor planners, pilots and sailors who want to see the weather themselves
Anyone in hurricane country or who loves watching weather from above
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Windy.com | Zoom Earth |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Weather | Weather |
| Category rank | #2 of 7 | #6 of 7 |
| Developer | Windyty, SE | Neave Interactive |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Windy.com better than Zoom Earth?
Windy.com is the better app overall, scoring 9.0 to 8.6. Windy.com wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Zoom Earth on 1, with 1 tied.
Which is cheaper, Windy.com or Zoom Earth?
Windy.com: Free; Windy Premium adds hourly 15-day forecasts with more frequent updates. Zoom Earth: Free with ads; Zoom Earth Pro removes ads and adds 10-day maps and alerts. On value for money, Windy.com scores higher.
Do Windy.com and Zoom Earth work on the same devices?
Yes, both run on iPhone & iPad, Android, Web.
Which is more private, Windy.com or Zoom Earth?
Windy.com scores higher on privacy (8.6/10). App Store label: location, user content, identifiers and diagnostics may be collected but are not linked to you. No tracking. Google Play lists no data shared with third parties.
Strengths and weaknesses
Windy.com
- Compare forecast models side by side
- Huge free feature set
- Privacy label shows nothing linked to you
- Busy interface can overwhelm casual users
- Hourly detail and faster updates need Premium
Windy puts the tools meteorologists use into a free app. Flip between ECMWF, GFS, ICON, meteoblue and local high-resolution models, then watch wind, rain, waves, snow or air quality animate across more than 50 map layers. Pilots, sailors, surfers and storm watchers get airport data, tides, webcams and a hurricane tracker. The sheer amount on screen takes some learning, but nothing else this capable costs so little.
Full Windy.com review
Zoom Earth
- Live satellite view is mesmerizing and useful
- Clear hurricane tracking for anyone
- Works on the web as well as phones
- Ads in the free version
- 10-day forecast maps need Pro
- Shares some data for advertising
Zoom Earth is the most watchable weather app around. Satellite images from GOES, Himawari and Meteosat refresh every 10 minutes, so you can watch storms spin up in near real time, then switch to radar, wind, rain or heat maps. Its hurricane tracking is clear enough for anyone, and wildfire hot spots come from NASA data. The free version shows ads, and Pro is needed for longer forecast maps.
Full Zoom Earth review
