Ask people which app they use most frequently on their phones, and they’re likely to pick one of five types: a messaging app, a maps app, a web browser, a clock app, or a weather app. If they go with a weather app, it could be one of many.
In fact, there are so many weather forecasting apps available for the iPhone—hundreds of them—that Apple’s App Store gives them their own category, something that can’t be said for, say, clock apps. While most come from smaller indie developers, there are a handful of ones from major brands, including Apple, CNN, The Weather Channel, and Yahoo. Here’s how these biggies compare, and which may be the right one for you.
Apple Weather
The first weather app that most iPhone owners become acquainted with is Apple’s own, Weather. It’s the default weather app and ships on all new iPhones. It’s also one of the iPhone’s only default Apple-owned apps that is truly best in class. This is evident in its design.
The Weather app has that familiar Apple polish: clean, easy-to-read elements that let you access a wealth of weather data with a single tap. The app features a single long vertical design that displays widgets for everything from hourly and 10-day forecasts to air pollution levels, participation maps, wind data, UV indices, and even the phases of the moon.
All of this is set against a beautifully animated backdrop that reflects the real-time weather conditions in the areas being viewed. An added bonus: Your saved locations in the Weather app sync across all your Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, and even Apple Watch.
CNN Weather
When you think of CNN, you probably think of the international news network that kickstarted the cable news boom in the 1980s. CNN has long made news apps for iPhone, but in May, the network released its first weather app, called CNN Weather.
There are two big benefits to the CNN Weather app that the other entrants on this list lack: simplicity and live weather news coverage. CNN Weather’s design is sparse. Launch the app, and you’re presented with primarily black text set against a white background, along with simple weather chart graphics. This delivers the most important weather information (hourly and 10-day forecasts, along with current conditions) without the fuss.
The app also provides select live video coverage from CNN meteorologists during major weather events, such as significant storms and extreme heat waves. It’s a great way to get quick access to real-time on-the-ground coverage without needing to turn on your TV.
The Weather Channel
There is perhaps no brand more synonymous with weather forecasting than The Weather Channel. On television, The Weather Channel is the go-to source for real-time coverage, and the company was one of the first weather brands to bring a third-party weather app to iPhone, all the way back in 2008. There’s a lot to love about The Weather Channel app—but also a lot to loathe.
First, the good parts. Its This Week home screen widget lets you see yesterday’s forecast, which is extremely helpful when deciding whether you can wear the same jacket you wore the day before. It also lets you tap various activities, like running or gardening, and tells you whether the current weather conditions are favorable for the activity. And of course, the app features a ton of high-quality videos taken from The Weather Channel’s weather reports and shows.
Unfortunately, the Weather Channel app is packed with ads, pop-ups, and prompts to get you to subscribe to its paid premium weather service. Some of these ads and pop-ups are so distracting that they make it hard to use the app. As a brand, The Weather Channel is one of the best sources for weather information. But as an app, The Weather Channel, despite its popularity, leaves much to be desired, especially compared with its major competitors.
Yahoo Weather
Like The Weather Channel app, the Yahoo Weather app has been around for more than a decade. But as Fast Company recently reported, the app received a significant redesign last month.
Yahoo Weather has the most straightforward design next to Apple’s Weather app. Most of its data can be glimpsed or accessed directly from its long vertical feed: first the hourly forecast, then the nine-day forecast, then the precipitation maps. Scroll down further, and you’ll find that the app is very reminiscent of Apple’s Weather app: tiled widgets neatly display wind speed, humidity, UV index, and moon phases. The pollen widget is particularly nice, as it lets you tap through current levels for weeds, trees, and grasses, enabling you to dive deeper into each irritant’s levels.
Unlike Apple’s Weather app, however, many of Yahoo Weather’s tiled widgets lack additional interactivity, so you can’t see, for example, what the humidity is expected to be like throughout the rest of the week. The images displayed at the top of the feed can be hit or miss in terms of relevance. Sometimes they’re just random photos of buildings in select cities, which have little to do with the weather.
So, which iPhone weather app is right for you?
I think that 99% of people will be content using the built-in Apple Weather app. It’s free, clear of ads, has a beautiful design, and provides a wealth of data. But if you’re looking for something outside Apple’s ecosystem, the new Yahoo Weather app is a very good runner-up. As for CNN Weather and The Weather Channel, those apps will likely appeal most to people who love getting the forecast in multiple ways, including from humans who may deliver it with a smile.