Open-Meteo

Active

Country: Switzerland (CH)
Founded: 2022
Developer: Open-Meteo (open-source community project)
Pricing: Free (open-source)
Open source: Yes
Platforms: Web, API

Indexes

Weather

Overview

Open-Meteo is a free, open-source weather API that provides accurate weather forecasts and historical weather data without requiring an API key or account. It aggregates weather models from national weather services including DWD, NOAA, Météo-France, and the Canadian Meteorological Center, combining local (1 km resolution) and global (11 km resolution) models to deliver forecasts for any location worldwide. The service is designed for non-commercial use and targets developers, researchers, and open-source projects seeking reliable weather data without commercial licensing constraints.

Key Features

Free API access - No API key or account required for non-commercial use
High-resolution forecasts - Local models at 1 km resolution and global models at 11 km resolution
Extended forecast range - Up to 35 days of hourly weather forecasts with detailed variables
Historical weather data - Over 80 years of hourly weather data at 10 km resolution for any location
Multiple weather models - Intelligently combines forecasts from national weather services for optimal accuracy
Simple JSON API - User-friendly API format for seamless integration into applications
Global coverage - Weather data available for any location on Earth
Specialized data - Includes wind at 120-meter elevation, solar radiation, air quality, and ocean data

Pricing

Plan	Price	Includes
Free (Non-commercial)	$0	Unlimited API calls, 7-day hourly forecasts, historical data access, all standard weather variables
Commercial	Custom pricing	Reserved API resources, extended rate limits, dedicated support

Platforms & Requirements

Open-Meteo operates as a web-based API service accessible from any platform with internet connectivity. It can be deployed locally using Docker or prebuilt packages for Ubuntu 22.04. The service integrates with Home Assistant and other smart home platforms, and is accessible via standard HTTP requests to JSON endpoints.

Integrations & Ecosystem

Home Assistant integration
Docker deployment
JSON API for custom applications
Historical Weather API
Air quality data API
Ocean data API
Ensemble forecasts
Climate forecast API based on IPCC predictions

Alternatives

App	Difference
OpenWeatherMap	Requires API key; offers both free and paid tiers with commercial support
Weather.gov (NOAA)	US-focused government weather service; limited international coverage
Weatherstack	Commercial weather API with structured data; requires subscription for production use
Windy	Visual weather platform with interactive maps; primarily consumer-focused rather than API-first

Reputation

Open-Meteo is recognized as a reliable, transparent alternative to commercial weather APIs, particularly valued by open-source developers and non-commercial projects for its lack of authentication requirements and commitment to open data. Its accuracy is considered competitive despite being free, leveraging established national weather service models. The project is praised for transparency in crediting data sources and providing access to source code. Limitations include restrictions on commercial use without custom licensing and potential rate limiting during high-traffic periods.

Sources (7)