Comparison

OpenSnow vs SkiCast

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

OpenSnow

Get the most accurate snow forecasts, detailed snow reports, and severe weather maps. Access 15-day forecasts, local expert insights, and offline 3D maps for snow depth, avalanche risk, and more. Track storms with advanced radar and AI-powered weather systems.

Highlights
  • 15-Day Snow Forecast
  • Local Expert Snow Reports
  • 3D & Offline Weather Maps
  • AI-Powered Weather System
  • Severe Weather Tracking
  • Mountain Webcams
  • Snow Depth & Avalanche Risk Maps
Features
Read full description

OpenSnow is your trusted source for the most accurate snow forecast, snow report, and severe weather maps. "Weather forecasting for the mountains takes extra focus, analysis, and precision, which is exactly what OpenSnow provides. The app is incredible, even for super weather nerds like myself." – Cody Townsend, Pro Skier 15-Day Snow Forecasts Finding the location that has the best conditions can feel overwhelming. With OpenSnow, deciding where to go is easy. View the latest 15-day snow forecast, snow report, conditions history, and mountain webcams for your favorite locations in just a few seconds. Local Daily Snow Experts Instead of spending hours sifting through weather data, get the inside scoop in just a few minutes. Our local experts write a new Daily Snow forecast each day in the winter for regions around the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Have one of our expert local forecasters guide you to the best conditions. 3D Weather + Snow Maps We make it easy to track incoming storms with super-res radar and global precipitation, radar, and snow forecast maps. You can also view 3D maps for snow depth, avalanche risk, slope angle, active fires, air quality, wildfire smoke, public and private land ownership, and more. Download high-resolution satellite maps to view offline. PEAKS + StormNet PEAKS is our mountain weather forecast model that is up to 50% more accurate in complex terrain. StormNet is our severe weather forecast model that produces real-time, high-resolution forecasts for lightning, hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Combined, PEAKS + StormNet provide a first-of-its-kind, fully operational multi-component weather forecast system. Daily Features • 15-Day Hourly Forecasts • Current + Forecast Radar • Precipitation Forecast Maps • Air Quality Forecasts • Wildfire Smoke Forecast Maps • 50,000+ Weather Stations • 3D + Offline Maps • Land Boundary + Private Ownership Maps • Recent Satellite Maps Snow + Ski Features • 15-Day Snow Forecast • Powder Quality Forecast • Snow Depth Map • Season Snowfall Map • Snow Forecast Alerts • Snow Forecast Maps • Offline Ski Resort Trail Maps • Snow Forecast + Report Widgets • Historical Snow Reports Severe Weather Features (US only) • Super-Res Radar • Lightning Risk • Tornado Risk • Hail Risk • Damaging Winds Risk • Severe Weather Alerts Free Features • My Location 15-Day Forecast • Snow Forecast 15-Day Summary • Historical Weather + Snow Reports • Snow Report Alerts • Avalanche Forecasts • Mountain Webcams • Active Fires Map • Air Quality Map • Slope Angle + Slope Aspect — Free Trial — New accounts automatically receive the full OpenSnow Premium experience, with no credit card or payment information required. If you choose not to purchase OpenSnow after the free trial is over, you will be automatically downgraded to a free account and not charged. — In-App Purchase — OpenSnow Base is an auto-renewable subscription, which will renew yearly at $49.99 USD. Payment will be charged to the user's Apple account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. The account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period and identify the cost of the renewal. If the auto-renewal fails due to a payment issue, you will still be able to access the paid content for 16 days while Apple attempts to collect payment. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://support.opensnow.com/legal/terms | https://support.opensnow.com/legal/privacy Sales through Apple will be governed by Apple’s refund policy. We value all of our customers and encourage you to provide feedback on your experience. Please get in touch with us by sending an email to hello@opensnow.com

About

SkiCast

Provides skiers with detailed snow conditions, ease of skiing indices, and prevailing weather forecasts for the next seven days. Aims for 90% forecast accuracy to help users choose and enjoy their ski days.

Highlights
  • Detailed snow conditions
  • Ease of skiing indices
  • Prevailing weather forecast
  • 7-day forecasts
  • Intuitive icons for snow situations
  • Powder alerts
Read full description

The objective of the application is to provide skiers, in one place, with all the information enabling them to choose and enjoy their skiing days as much as possible. SKICAST takes into account changes in weather and snow transformation to forecast realistic, objective and precise snow conditions. We have created 3 types of relevant information for skiers, and this for the next 7 days: - Detailed snow conditions - The ease of skiing indices - The prevailing weather that will be found at the station during opening hours (9:00 AM - 4:00 PM) Detailed snow conditions: We have grouped the ski conditions into 9 different situations, which are represented by intuitive icons. Ease of skiing: These indices are a simple way for intermediate skiers and families to get an idea of the overall conditions present at the resort. For example, 20 cm (8 inches) of snowfall precipitation will excite expert skiers and it is for this reason that the "powder alert" is offered; but for families, a B + ease index will be indicated due to the greater difficulty. Prevailing weather forecast: The program only displays relevant weather information for skiers during the day at the resort. We aim for at least 90% accuracy in our forecasts.

Screenshots

OpenSnow4 screens
SkiCast4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SkiCast at none against OpenSnow's 3. SkiCast also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). OpenSnow's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 50%) and ratings volume (9.1K vs 22). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. OpenSnow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year. SkiCast asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

OpenSnow holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OpenSnow has 9.1K ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of OpenSnow's written reviews are positive against 50% of SkiCast's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OpenSnow ships an update every 11 days, SkiCast every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
OpenSnow versus SkiCast: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpenSnowSkiCast
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (9.1K ratings) — better4.5 (22 ratings)
Positive reviews80.3% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings9.1K — better22
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#23 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCloudnine Weather, Inc.International Ski Condition Forecasting Inc.

Customer experience

OpenSnow

All ratings9,057 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral1.2%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews849 reviews
Positive80.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative16.0%

SkiCast

All ratings22 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral4.5%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

OpenSnow

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional crashes or freezes on certain devices
  • Inconsistencies in the display of weather data and forecasts

Requested features

5 requests
  • Expand coverage to more international ski resorts
  • Improve offline functionality and data availability
  • Introduce more customization options for user preferences
  • Enhance integration with other outdoor activity planning apps
  • Provide more detailed snow and weather data for backcountry use

SkiCast

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

OpenSnow

Subscriptions3
  • OpenSnow Legacy$49.991 Year
  • OpenSnow Base$49.991 Year
  • OpenSnow Base Legacy$49.991 Year
None

SkiCast

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OpenSnow free?
OpenSnow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SkiCast free?
SkiCast is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, OpenSnow or SkiCast?
OpenSnow is rated higher. OpenSnow averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while SkiCast averages 4.5 from 22 ratings.
Do OpenSnow or SkiCast have ads?
Neither OpenSnow nor SkiCast shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OpenSnow or SkiCast?
OpenSnow ships an update every 11 days, and SkiCast every 2 months. Most recently, OpenSnow was updated on October 17, 2026 and SkiCast on September 17, 2026.

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