# Open-Meteo vs National Weather Service API

Page: https://free-web-services.com/compare/open-meteo-vs-national-weather-service/

| | [Open-Meteo](https://free-web-services.com/web-services/geo/weather/open-meteo.md) | [National Weather Service API](https://free-web-services.com/web-services/geo/weather/national-weather-service.md) |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Weather forecasts | Weather forecasts |
| API key | Not needed | Not needed |
| Pricing | Free for non-commercial use; commercial use needs a paid plan. | Free and no key needed; send a User-Agent that identifies your app. |
| Commercial use | Not on the free plan | Not stated |
| From the browser | Yes (CORS) | Yes (CORS) |
| Formats | JSON | JSON |
| Interface | REST, HTTP-GET | REST, HTTP-GET |
| Provider | open-meteo.com | weather.gov |
| Last checked | Not stated | Working on November 1st, 2026 |
| MCP server | No | No |

## Which one to choose

The National Weather Service API gives official forecasts, observations and weather alerts for the United States only, free and without a key. Open-Meteo covers the whole world and adds historical weather, but its free use is non-commercial. Choose the National Weather Service for official US data and alerts, Open-Meteo for anywhere else.