AccuWeather API vs OpenWeatherMap
Category: Weather · Updated August 2026
Both AccuWeather API (50 calls/day, free key, no credit card) and OpenWeatherMap (1,000 calls/day, free key, no credit card) offer comparable free tiers. OpenWeatherMap currently leads on reliability with 89.28% uptime vs AccuWeather API's 84.52% uptime over the last 30 days. Pick OpenWeatherMap for hobby projects; consider AccuWeather API if you need its specific feature set.
Side-by-side comparison
AccuWeather API
Industry-leading weather API with hyperlocal MinuteCast, severe weather alerts, and 45-day forecasts.
| Status | 🟢 Online |
| 30-day uptime | 84.52% |
| Response time | 403 ms |
| Free tier | 50 calls/day, free key, no credit card |
| Auth | API key |
| Tier score | 0.7 — free key, no card |
OpenWeatherMap
One of the most popular weather APIs with current, forecast, and historical data for any location worldwide.
| Status | 🟢 Online |
| 30-day uptime | 89.28% |
| Response time | 146 ms |
| Free tier | 1,000 calls/day, free key, no credit card |
| Auth | API key |
| Tier score | 0.7 — free key, no card |
Which to choose?
- Pick AccuWeather API if…its feature set (50 calls/day, free key, no credit card) fits your request volume and you're comfortable with a free API key.
- Pick OpenWeatherMap if…reliability matters most — it shows higher uptime in our 30-day tracking. Good for production workloads in the weather space.
- Use both if…you need redundancy or coverage across different data providers. Both use API keys, so rotating between them is straightforward for failover.
Or use these alternatives
Other top-ranked Weather APIs you might consider:
- Open-Meteo Air Quality — 🟢 Online · 10,000 calls/day, no key, no credit card
- 7Timer! — 🟢 Online · Unlimited, no key, no credit card
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AccuWeather API or OpenWeatherMap more reliable?
Based on our 30-day tracking, OpenWeatherMap is more reliable with 89.28% uptime compared to AccuWeather API's 84.52%. Both are measured from the same automated hourly checks — no self-reported data.
Which one has a more generous free tier — AccuWeather API or OpenWeatherMap?
Both have comparable free tiers. AccuWeather API offers 50 calls/day, free key, no credit card and OpenWeatherMap offers 1,000 calls/day, free key, no credit card. The right choice depends on your specific call volume and auth preferences.
Can I use AccuWeather API and OpenWeatherMap together?
Yes. Both require an API key, so you can register for both free accounts and implement a simple fallback: try AccuWeather API first and fall back to OpenWeatherMap if you hit rate limits or encounter downtime. This is a common pattern for production resilience.
What's the cheapest paid alternative if both AccuWeather API and OpenWeatherMap fail?
If you need a paid fallback, OWM One Call 3.0 is one of the more affordable options (from $0.0015/call after 1000 free/day). You can find the full list of paid alternatives on each API's detail page. Paid tiers typically offer SLA guarantees, higher rate limits, and dedicated support.
See full profiles: AccuWeather API · OpenWeatherMap · All Weather APIs