Dark Sky API Replacement Recommendation? [closed]

Question

Since Apple bought Dark Sky, What are some replacement option API serves that I/Others can use to develop with. Would need History, Daily, Now, and Forecast...

If this belongs on StackExchange, let me know and I will remove it and post it there.

Note: API serves on Dark Sky is suppose to go away at the end of 2021....

Rem

Answer 1

Sorry for the late response, but it may help someone who finds this via search.

I've has good luck with Visual Crossing Weather. They've updated their plans to include one that mirrors the Dark Sky pricing model. It offers 1000 free records per day and $0.0001 pricing beyond that just like Dark Sky. Their API is a little different from the Dark Sky single call, but it has all of the same weather data including global history, current conditions, and forecasts. They have an article about how to convert here: https://www.visualcrossing.com/resources/documentation/weather-api/how-to-replace-the-dark-sky-api/ and the "Dark Sky" pricing plan is called "Pay-as-you-go".

Tiedeman

Thanks, I came across them, but at the time they did not have the Dark Sky pricing. One think I did notice, make sure you have unitGroup set to uk to help match DK's units. Registered and giving it a try, will post my results... – Rem

Answer 2

I wasn't sure if you already knew or not but OpenWeather is offering One Call API. The great feature about this is that you only have to make one API call in order to get the essential weather data (current, hourly and daily forecast).

It's also totally free to sign up so there's no subscription and it gives you 1000 API calls per day.

Here is a guide about migration from Dark Sky API to OpenWeather https://openweathermap.org/darksky-openweather

Jobye

Bronislava - Thanks, I knew about it, but have not gone into a deep dive. Did a panic search on options once I found out about Dark Sky screwing its customers over, I was a paying user. At the time they did not have the migration info, or at least I did not see it. I did come across ClimaCell which they will match Dark Sky price. Contacted them and found out the offer was only for 14 day and only for a year. After that a renegotiate, which would be $500+ a month... Also I have till the end of 2021 so my panic slowed down. Though still still a little panic.... – Rem

The biggest problem with OpenWeather looks like the Historical, 150 USD / month, which I really need. With Dark Sky was 1000 calls a month, then fraction of a penny after that for both historical, daily, now, and up to 7 day forcast... – Rem

looking at weatherstack.com, Might have to use two souses to do what I need in a price I can afford.... – Rem

Thanks a lot! By the way, yesterday OpenWeather added historical weather data for 5 previous days to One Call API for free. Look the documentation – Jobye

Climacell has updated their plans to try and get Dark Sky developers, they have a free version also with 1000 calls a day, but limit to 100 and hour. Not a fan of the hourly limit, I do a batch calls that could be a few hundred at a time. Also think the plan list has some errors in it due to the quick add. Take a look at the note at the bottom of the paid plans list. Really wish a plan/price and service like Dark Sky would show up. Lets keep finding options to help everyone that GOT SCREWED by Apple and Dark Sky... climacell.co/weather-api/pricing – Rem

Thank you, I have not seen this piece of news! By the way, I have already signed up and got my API key (Free plan). I went to their documentation and authorized. But documentation for Past and Present, Forecast, Alerts, etc - is closed for me! Maybe I am doing something wrong or they launched raw product... Have you already tried? – Jobye

I have not, I came across the company from an article about how Dark Sky screwed it's developers over. At first the company had no pricing and was going to match Dark Sky pricing, but you had to talk to a rep and had a 14 day window. The pricing was for a year and then a renegotiation on the price after a year, before the new plans. After the the year, it looked liked $500 a month, NOT AN OPTION. My follow up call, they had talked to a lot of ex-darkskyers and started the new plans to compete with the new market that open up. Contact support, I singed up, but had a problem getting my API Key – Rem

I am also looking at the the following two options. Might have to use both to do what I need. weatherapi.com and weatherstack.com/product – Rem