Side by side
What each app actually does.
No scoring, no winners column. Just the factual differences, so you can decide what your weather habits are worth.
| Apple Weather | Forecast Bar | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, built in | Free to download; subscription, with a 7-day free trial on iPhone and iPad |
| Data source | Apple’s own model | The Weather Company, augmented by Apple Weather, NOAA and other sources — or switch the forecast to Apple Weather and compare the two side by side (top tier, 11.6 or later) |
| Mac menu bar | One basic readout (recent macOS versions) | Up to 5 independent items, each with its own data point, 7+ display styles, tear-away panels |
| Radar | Precipitation, temperature, and air quality maps inside the app | Animated radar with future frames, lightning, and aurora layers; standalone radar window on Mac; radar on Apple Watch and Apple TV |
| Alerts | Government severe weather alerts and next-hour precipitation (where available) | Those, plus custom alerts on thresholds you choose — rain, wind, freeze, UV, pressure — and sunset quality, aurora, tides, earthquakes, pollen, and celestial events |
| Widgets & complications | A standard set of Home Screen, Lock Screen, and Watch widgets | 12+ widgets across Home Screen, Lock Screen, StandBy, and interactive types; Live Activities with Dynamic Island precipitation tracking; 100+ Watch complication configurations |
| Apple TV | Not available | Full app with Top Shelf forecasts for up to 3 locations, 14-day forecast, animated radar, and severe alerts — included with Forecast Bar Gold on iOS |
| Customization | Minimal by design — one clean layout for everyone | Choose your data points, layout, backgrounds, icon sets, units, and alert rules; hide everything you don't care about |
| Extra data | Core conditions, AQI, UV, precipitation maps | Tide charts, pollen with per-type counts, sunrise/sunset quality scores, moon phases, AI weather stories written for your day |
Apple Weather capabilities vary by OS version and region. Comparison reflects publicly documented features as of September 2026.
The honest answer
Which one is right for you?
🍎
Stick with Apple Weather if…
- You check the forecast once or twice a day and that's it
- A current temperature and a daily high/low answer your questions
- You've never wished a weather app told you something before you looked
- You'd rather not manage another subscription — a fair position
Apple Weather is a genuinely good default. If it has never let you down, keep it.
⛅️
Forecast Bar earns its place if…
- You work on a Mac and want several conditions visible all day, not one readout
- Weather changes your plans — you want alerts on your thresholds, not just government warnings
- You care about things Apple Weather doesn't cover: tides, pollen detail, aurora, sunset quality, earthquakes
- You want a forecast from The Weather Company rather than Apple’s own model — or want to run both and see where they disagree
- You live across Apple screens — Watch, Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, and Apple TV included
FAQ
Common questions
Is Apple Weather good enough for most people?
Honestly, yes. Apple Weather is free, well designed, already installed, and gives a solid basic forecast with maps, widgets, and government severe weather alerts. If you check the weather once or twice a day and act on it rarely, you probably don't need anything else.
What does Forecast Bar add over Apple Weather?
A different forecast provider (The Weather Company rather than Apple’s own model), up to five configurable Mac menu bar items instead of a single readout, a standalone radar window with lightning and aurora layers, custom alerts on data points you choose (including sunset quality, aurora, tides, earthquakes, and pollen), 12+ iOS widgets, 100+ Apple Watch complication configurations, AI weather stories, and an Apple TV app with Top Shelf forecasts.
Is Forecast Bar more accurate than Apple Weather?
We don't claim that. Forecast accuracy varies by location, source, time horizon, and weather event — no app is universally more accurate. Forecast Bar's forecast comes from The Weather Company rather than Apple's own model, so the two will not always agree. Which one is closer where you live is worth checking for yourself — and since 11.6 the app will do that for you: switch to Apple Weather if you prefer it, or open Compare Sources to chart both forecasts together and see where they disagree.
How much does Forecast Bar cost compared to Apple Weather?
Apple Weather is free. Forecast Bar is free to download, and live weather requires a subscription — on iPhone and iPad, every subscription includes a 7-day free trial for new subscribers, and Mac plans do not include one. In the US App Store, iPhone and iPad are $11.49 a year for Silver and $19.99 a year for Gold, and Mac is $9.99 a year for Plus or $19.99 a year for Pro. Prices vary by region, so the App Store shows what you will actually pay. Mac and iOS plans are separate, and Apple TV is included with Forecast Bar Gold on iOS.
Can I use Apple's weather data inside Forecast Bar?
Yes, in two ways. Apple Weather is one of the sources we augment The Weather Company with, so some of what you see already draws on it. And since version 11.6 you can switch the forecast itself to Apple Weather — a top-tier feature, Gold on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV and Pro on the Mac — in Settings under Data & Layout. Compare Sources then charts both forecasts together and shows where they disagree. Pollen, air quality, history and 15-minute precipitation keep coming from The Weather Company whichever source you pick.
Try the difference for a week.
On iPhone and iPad, every subscription starts with a 7-day free trial. If Apple Weather still covers you, keep it. If not, you'll know.
Free to download; live weather requires a subscription. On iPhone and iPad, every subscription includes a 7-day free trial for new subscribers; Mac plans do not. Mac and iOS plans are separate; Apple TV is included with Forecast Bar Gold on iOS.
Keep exploring
More from Forecast Bar
Mac menu bar weather
Up to five configurable menu bar items, with a 48-hour timeline and 15-day outlook one click away.
Weather radar for Mac
A standalone radar window with future radar, live lightning, satellite, and NWS warnings on the map.
iPhone weather widgets
12+ Home and Lock Screen widgets, StandBy, and Live Activities that track rain minute by minute.
Apple Watch complications
100+ complication configurations — hourly charts, tide gauges, AQI, pressure, and more.
Alerts that matter
Severe weather at the moment of issue, rain nowcasts, and custom alerts on 14 data points.
Weather on Apple TV
Radar, forecasts, and Top Shelf weather on the biggest screen in the house.