WEATHER MAPS HEAD-TO-HEAD
Windy vs Ventusky (2026)
Windy and Ventusky are the internet's two favourite weather maps, and they are constantly confused with each other — similar names, similar animated wind, both built in Europe on the same global forecast models. The differences are real, though: Windy is the maximalist platform, with the deepest layer catalogue, alerts, webcams and a huge community; Ventusky is the minimalist, presenting the same class of model data with unusual clarity. Which one suits you depends on whether you read weather closely or just need to read it quickly.
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Sources listed at the bottom of this page
Key differences at a glance
- Webcam layerWindy: YesVentusky: NoWindy aggregates public webcams on the map; no Ventusky webcam layer verified
- Hurricane and cyclone trackingWindy: YesVentusky: Not verifiedWindy has a dedicated hurricane tracker; a Ventusky equivalent wasn't verified from official sources
- Weather alertsWindy: YesVentusky: Not verifiedWindy offers alerts for favourite locations; no general Ventusky alert system verified
- 3D globe viewWindy: PartialVentusky: NoWindy is primarily a 2D layered map with limited 3D presentation; Ventusky is a 2D map
What is Windy?
Windy.com visualises forecast-model weather as animated map layers — wind, rain, temperature, pressure, clouds, waves and more — drawn from ECMWF, GFS, ICON and other models, with radar and satellite layers, detailed point forecasts, meteograms and airgrams, a hurricane tracker and a layer of public webcams. A free tier covers the core maps; Windy Premium unlocks higher-resolution data, longer forecast ranges and extra detail. Developer APIs are sold separately from the consumer app.
What is Ventusky?
Ventusky visualises the same kind of forecast-model data — wind, precipitation, temperature, pressure, clouds, snow and waves — as exceptionally clean animated maps, including wind flows at different altitudes. It draws on the ECMWF, GFS, ICON and GEM models (per its premium page) and adds radar, satellite and air-quality layers. Access is free with an optional premium tier; it is weather-only, deliberately, with no webcams, tracking or extras competing for attention.
Windy vs Ventusky: feature comparison
Verified against official sources. “Not verified” means we couldn’t confirm it — not that it doesn’t exist.
FEATURE TALLY — FROM THE TABLE BELOW
Windy
8 yes · 2 partial · 0 no
Ventusky
5 yes · 0 partial · 2 no · 3 not verified
A count of the rows in the verified table beneath — not a quality rating. The rows themselves, and what each product does best, matter more than the totals.
| Feature | Windy | Ventusky |
|---|---|---|
| Animated wind and weather mapThe core of both products | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple forecast modelsWindy: ECMWF, GFS, ICON and more, incl. regional models. Ventusky: ECMWF, GFS, ICON, GEM (per its premium page) | Yes | Yes |
| Radar layerBoth blend radar into the map | Yes | Yes |
| Satellite layerBoth offer satellite imagery alongside model data | Yes | Yes |
| Webcam layerWindy aggregates public webcams on the map; no Ventusky webcam layer verified | Yes | No |
| Hurricane and cyclone trackingWindy has a dedicated hurricane tracker; a Ventusky equivalent wasn't verified from official sources | Yes | Not verified |
| Weather alertsWindy offers alerts for favourite locations; no general Ventusky alert system verified | Yes | Not verified |
| 3D globe viewWindy is primarily a 2D layered map with limited 3D presentation; Ventusky is a 2D map | Partial | No |
| Mobile appsBoth offer iOS/Android apps plus the web | Yes | Yes |
| Developer APIWindy's APIs are sold separately (Map Forecast API from €990/year); no public Ventusky API verified | Partial | Not verified |
Pricing: Windy vs Ventusky
Windy pricing
Generous free tier. Windy Premium costs about $35/year (community-confirmed pricing for 2026; sold as an auto-renewing subscription or a one-time payment for a year) and unlocks higher-resolution data, longer ranges and extra features. Windy confirms there is no free trial of Premium. Developer APIs are priced separately — the Map Forecast API's Professional tier is €990/year.
Ventusky pricing
Free access with an optional premium option, billed via the web or the app stores. Ventusky does not publish a single public price list and prices vary by region and store, so we won't quote a figure we can't verify — check the premium page in your region.
Where Windy is stronger
Windy is the deeper weather platform overall: the largest layer catalogue of the two (50+ weather layers), multiple global and regional models with ECMWF at the centre, radar and satellite blends, hurricane tracking, airgram/meteogram detail for aviation and sailing, weather alerts for favourite places, a webcam layer, and a large community. If weather is something you read closely or plan around, Windy's depth wins.
Where Ventusky is stronger
Ventusky is the cleaner reading experience: uncluttered, legible maps where wind and precipitation patterns are easy to follow, with altitude wind views that aviation-minded users appreciate. If your job is simply to read the coming days' weather — especially wind and rain — without a cockpit of toggles, Ventusky's focus and restraint beat the bigger platform.
The verdict
Choose Windy if…
Choose Windy if you read weather seriously — sailing, flying, storm-watching or trip planning — and want the deepest layers, alerts, webcams and model choice in one place.
Choose Ventusky if…
Choose Ventusky if you want the clearest possible picture of wind, rain and temperature over the next days, with the least interface between you and the weather.
Is Windy better than Ventusky?
For depth, Windy is better: more layers, more models, alerts, webcams and a community, for about the price of a coffee a month. For clarity, Ventusky is better: the same class of model data presented with less clutter. Occasional weather-checkers should start with Ventusky's free maps; sailors, pilots, storm-watchers and other serious readers usually end up on Windy.
ANOTHER OPTION
Where WorldEye fits
WorldEye treats weather as one layer among many: its free 3D globe carries a live weather layer alongside live flights, satellites, ships, earthquakes, wildfires and 74,229 public cameras, with no signup. It is not a forecast-model tool and doesn't pretend to compete with either specialist on meteorological depth — it's the place to see weather in context with everything else moving on the planet. An optional Pro tier ($7.99/week, $13.99/month or $74.99/year) adds the OSINT toolkit and intel feeds.
Full WorldEye head-to-heads: WorldEye vs Windy · WorldEye vs Ventusky
Windy vs Ventusky: quick answers
Do Windy and Ventusky use the same weather models?
Both draw heavily on the same global models — ECMWF, GFS and ICON (Ventusky also lists GEM). Differences come from resolution, refresh handling and presentation rather than wholly different data. Windy adds more regional high-resolution models and more layers; Ventusky presents the core fields more cleanly.
How much is Windy Premium?
Windy Premium costs about $35/year (community-confirmed 2026 pricing; sold as an auto-renewing subscription or a one-time year). There is no free trial of Premium. It unlocks higher-resolution and longer-range data plus extra layers.
Is Ventusky free?
Mostly — Ventusky is free to use, with an optional premium tier sold via the web and app stores. It does not publish one single public price list, so exact prices vary by region and store.
Which has webcams, Windy or Ventusky?
Windy has a webcam layer aggregating public webcams on its map. A dedicated camera network wasn't verified from Ventusky's official sources. WorldEye's globe carries 74,229 public cameras alongside its weather layer.
Is there a weather map with live flights and cameras too?
WorldEye has a live weather layer on its 3D globe alongside flights, ships, cameras, earthquakes and wildfires — useful context, but not a forecast-model platform. For model depth, Windy and Ventusky are the specialists.
How we researched this comparison
Every row in the table above was checked against Windy’s and Ventusky’s official sites, documentation or published pricing — the sources are listed at the bottom of this page, and the comparison was last reviewed in October 2026. Where a capability couldn’t be confirmed from an official source, it is marked “Not verified” rather than guessed.
This page is published by WorldEye, so the head-to-head above is kept deliberately neutral: each product’s strengths are stated in its own terms, and WorldEye appears only in the labelled “another option” section. WorldEye’s own figures there are counted, not estimated — 74,229 public cameras in its live directory across 105 countries, and a free map (flights, satellites, ships, weather, earthquakes, wildfires, cameras and satellite imagery) with an optional Pro tier at $7.99/week, $13.99/month or $74.99/year.
Products change. If you spot a row that has gone stale, the sources below show exactly what each claim rests on.