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AviationWeather vs RainViewer

Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.

APIAviationWeatherNEW—RainViewerNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
Authnonenone
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licensePublic domain (U.S. Government / NOAA)Unverified (attribution requested)
Free tierFree, no keyFree — limits not published
Rate limitUnpublished (NWS requests reasonable use)Unpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

AviationWeather vs RainViewer: common questions

Which is more reliable, AviationWeather or RainViewer?

On our scheduled checks, RainViewer leads on measured uptime — AviationWeather at —% versus RainViewer at —% over 90 days. These are our own probe results, not provider claims; the uptime bars above show the day-by-day record for both.

Do AviationWeather and RainViewer need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — AviationWeather 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 AviationWeather and RainViewer from the browser?

Only RainViewer is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. AviationWeather needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are AviationWeather and RainViewer free for commercial use?

AviationWeather allows commercial use on its free tier, 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.