Top 5 Must-Have iPhone Weather Apps

Whether you're a weather enthusiast or simply want to stay prepared for unexpected weather changes, there's an abundance of weather apps available for your iPhone. From basic to high-tech, we have a variety of recommendations to suit your needs. But, as with any "best" list, personal preference plays a significant role in determining which app is the perfect fit for you.

Different people prioritize different features when it comes to weather apps. Some may value a sleek interface, detailed weather radar, or alerts for pollen or air quality, while others may prioritize the app's privacy policy, data source, or ability to customize a weather widget on their phone's lock screen. To make your decision easier, we've provided key details about each app below to help you choose the ones that best suit your needs. However, you may want to try out the top two contenders yourself to see how they perform in real-world settings.

Best Free Weather App: Apple Weather

Historically, you wouldn’t find Apple Weather at the top of any best iOS weather app lists. Like many stock Apple apps, it was there, it was OK, but it wasn’t anything particularly exceptional.

Apple's acquisition of Dark Sky marked a significant turning point for the Weather app, pulling it out of the doldrums and propelling it towards success. With the integration of Dark Sky's technology, Apple Weather has become significantly more advanced and sophisticated, boasting a wider range of options and much more accurate weather data. The app now includes premium features such as weather animations and hyper-local reporting, making it a valuable asset for casual users. While recommending a stock iOS app may not be the most exciting suggestion, Apple Weather's polished widgets and ease of use make it a strong contender for the title of best weather app.

Is it infinitely configurable and customizable? No. Is it free while covering all the basics like alerts, forecasting, air quality, and other expected weather app functions? Absolutely.

Best Weather App: Carrot Weather

Carrot Weather is not your ordinary weather app - it's a colorful and fun application with a unique art style that allows you to customize the personality of the app to anything from professional to snarky. This feature has gained the app a cult following, despite the fact that witty weather remarks alone would not be enough to sell it. Luckily, Carrot Weather is also highly customizable, with a plethora of options for you to rearrange weather data on the app and home and lock screen widgets.

Many former Dark Sky users turned to Carrot Weather after the app was acquired by Apple and subsequently shut down. Carrot Weather offers a similar experience with its "Inline" layout option and premium features like the weather time machine. Don't let the app's reputation for snarkiness deter you, as the app and widgets can be highly customized. Carrot Weather offers a free version as well as three subscription tiers, with the Premium tier being the best value for most users at $4.99/month or $19.99/year. This upgrade provides access to notifications, customizations, widgets, and Apple Watch complications.

The Premium Ultra membership is priced at $9.99 per month or $39.99 per year, and it offers all the features of the Premium membership along with exclusive perks such as notifications for rain, lightning, and storm cells, a widget displaying weather maps, and the ability to switch between weather data sources quickly. For those with a passion for weather and a large family, the best value is the Premium Family membership priced at $14.99 per month or $59.99 per year, which allows the primary user and up to five family members to enjoy the benefits of the Ultra tier via Apple’s Family Sharing.

Best Weather App for Notifications: Weather Underground

Before hyper-local weather apps even existed, Weather Underground was already ahead of the game. Established in 1995, the company has been providing highly localized weather reports by combining data from the National Weather Service and personal weather stations since its inception.

The Weather Underground app stands out with its detailed weather map that comes with various overlays, allowing users to easily access specific data on reporting zones in their area. Moreover, the app does not restrict access to alerts or advanced weather data through paid subscriptions.

For those who love the app but hate the ads, the option to remove them for just $1.99 per year is a great addition. And for those willing to pay a bit more, the Premium tier offers even more benefits, including an extended 15-day forecast and access to the Smart Forecasts feature. This feature allows users to set specific weather parameters and receive automatic notifications when conditions are just right for their planned activities. However, the lack of home screen or lock screen widgets may be a drawback for some users, as this feature is not available in either the free or paid versions of the app.

Hello Weather: The Weather App That Offers a Clean and User-Friendly Interface

There are numerous weather apps available in the market, but most of them appear to be outdated with a cluttered interface and banner ads. Hello Weather, on the other hand, was developed by a small team to break away from the conventional design and provide users with a clear and easy-to-comprehend weather data presentation.

The forecast data and widgets on Hello Weather provide valuable insights on how weather conditions affect your daily activities. Understanding the humidity, dew point, and barometric pressure in plain English helps you determine whether it's comfortable to go for a long walk or not. The app is not only ad-free but also has a transparent privacy policy that guarantees no collection or sharing of personal data. With the free version, you get basic customization, radar, and home screen and lock screen widgets. However, upgrading to the premium tier unlocks Apple Watch complications, additional data sources, and numerous customization options for just $1.99/month or $14.99/year.

If you prefer a minimalist approach to weather apps and aren't interested in charts or tables, the (Not Boring) Weather app is a great option. It has a sleek and stylish design that feels like a top-rated mobile game, making it perfect for those who appreciate both form and function.

The app revolutionizes the traditional design of weather apps by transforming the interface into an interactive weather fidget toy. The 3D-modeled animated weather model and the prominent temperature display enable users to rotate and flip them as per their preference. The model also provides extra information on tapping and swiping through the forecast data at the bottom of the screen. Moreover, users can play an interactive 3D animation of the weather conditions by sliding their fingers along the weather bar. Though not suitable for those seeking a conventional weather-app-as-command-center experience, it offers a refreshing and enjoyable approach to the weather app category. The app costs $14.99 annually, including the weather app and the (Not Boring) take on Habits, Calculator, and Timer, creating a 3D-game-looking good vibe for other iPhone apps as well.