Automatic Weather Stations vs RainViewer
Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.
Automatic Weather Stations vs RainViewer: common questions
Which is more reliable, Automatic Weather Stations or RainViewer?
Both are neck-and-neck — Automatic Weather Stations and RainViewer each measure 100% uptime over 90 days on our probe schedule. Reliability here is verified from our own scheduled checks; use the 30-day bars above to see which has been steadier lately.
Which is faster, Automatic Weather Stations or RainViewer?
RainViewer has the lower median latency in our checks — Automatic Weather Stations responds in 986 ms versus RainViewer at 551 ms (P50). Tail latency (P95) is in the table above; for most workloads the median is the number that shapes how the API feels.
Do Automatic Weather Stations and RainViewer need an API key?
Neither needs a paid key — Automatic Weather Stations is callable with no signup, and RainViewer is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.
Can I call Automatic Weather Stations and RainViewer from the browser?
Yes — both Automatic Weather Stations and RainViewer send CORS headers over HTTPS, so front-end code can fetch either directly with no backend proxy. That makes them easy to swap in a client-side app while you compare responses.
Are Automatic Weather Stations and RainViewer free for commercial use?
Automatic Weather Stations has unclear commercial terms, and RainViewer has unclear commercial terms. We track service terms and the data license as separate fields — see the Commercial use and Data license rows above, and confirm both before shipping either in a paid product.