OpenSnow vs Drive Weather
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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OpenSnow is your trusted source for the most accurate snow forecast, snow report, and ski conditions. "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 snow 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 snow 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 state-of-the-art weather forecast model optimized for complex, mountain 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
Drive Weather
This app provides real-time, route-based weather forecasts to help you travel safely and efficiently. It visualizes conditions like rain, snow, wind, and radar, offering detailed insights for your entire journey.
- Route-based weather forecasts
- Live animated radar
- Real-time wind speed and direction
- National Weather Service alerts
- CarPlay integration
- Glanceable timeline interface
- 7-day forecast (Pro)
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Outsmart The Weather - See the weather and road conditions you’ll encounter before you get there. Drive Weather shows you where and when you’ll encounter changing weather along your route based on your departure time. See rain, snow, ice, fog, wind, radar, National Weather Service alerts, and available 511 road conditions before they affect your drive. Unlike a standard weather app, Drive Weather matches the forecast to your route and estimated arrival time. Know what conditions will be waiting for you hours down the road - not just what the weather is where you are now. Choose a better time to leave, compare routes, and stay ahead of hazardous weather. Drive Weather turns complex forecast data into an easy-to-read route timeline built for road trips, truckers, RVers, motorcyclists, and everyday drivers. High-resolution forecast coverage shows changing conditions all along your route - not just at major cities. Drive Weather offers split-screen CarPlay integration, displaying weather conditions alongside turn-by-turn navigation. See your route and the weather ahead at the same time - no switching apps and no guessing what conditions you’re about to encounter. FREE FEATURES • Apple CarPlay Support – Weather, live weather radar, and navigation on your CarPlay display. • Weather Updates While You Drive – Updated rain, freezing rain, snow, and fog conditions as you travel. • Route-Based Weather Forecasts – See weather based on where you’ll be and when you’ll arrive. • High-Resolution Forecast Coverage – More forecast points for detailed conditions along your route. • Weather Along Your Route – Rain, snow, fog, freezing rain, thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, smoke, haze, and temperatures. • 2-Day Forecasts – Plan trips with up to two days of route weather. • Animated Radar – Updated approximately every 2 minutes with near real-time radar data. • Time Tweaker – Change your departure or travel time to preview how conditions may change, especially useful for truckers and RVers. • Area Weather – View general weather outside a planned route. • Route Sharing – Send your route to Google Maps, Waze, or Apple Maps. • GPX Import Upgrade to Drive Weather Pro for more powerful route planning, advanced weather and road-condition information, and an ad-free experience. DRIVE WEATHER PRO FEATURES • Apple CarPlay Weather Updates – Updated rain, freezing rain, snow, and fog conditions on CarPlay or iPhone while driving. • Icy Road Indicator – Identify areas where road surfaces may become slick or icy. • 511 Road Information – View available state-provided road conditions, closures, incidents, congestion, and traffic cameras. • Compare Routes – Compare weather conditions across alternate routes to help choose the better route. • 3-Hour Future Radar – See forecast radar movement up to three hours ahead. • 7-Day Route Forecasts – Plan longer trips with up to seven days of route weather. • Severe Weather Alerts – View warnings, watches, and advisories that may affect your trip. • Detailed Wind Information – Wind speed, direction, sustained winds, and gusts along your route. • Elevation Profile and Info – Visualize elevation changes and prepare for mountain passes. • Night Location Indicator – See where along your trip you may be driving after dark. • Unlimited Route Length • Add Stops & Waypoints • Ad-Free DRIVE WEATHER PRO+ FEATURES • Truck and RV Routing • 10-Day Route Forecasts – Plan longer trips with up to seven days of route weather. • Natural Voice for Direction Announcements • Visual Grade Indicator – See steep grades ahead, know when they end, uphill and downhill distinguished DRIVE WEATHER COVERAGE - United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, UK, and Europe Note: Not supported on laptops. Comments, questions, or feedback? Email [conceptElementsApp@gmail.com](mailto:conceptElementsApp@gmail.com) EULA Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: OpenSnow at none against Drive Weather's shown. Drive Weather's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 11 days) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. OpenSnow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year and Drive Weather sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for OpenSnow against 4.7 for Drive Weather. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9.1K and 13K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of OpenSnow's written reviews are positive against 84% of Drive Weather's.
OpenSnow ships an update every 11 days, Drive Weather every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.
| Parameter | OpenSnow | Drive Weather |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (9.1K ratings) — better | 4.7 (13K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 80.3% of reviews | 83.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 9.1K | 13K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #21 | #18 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 125 MB | 168 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Cloudnine Weather, Inc. | Concept Elements LLC |
Customer experience
OpenSnow
Drive Weather
User reviews
OpenSnow
From 9.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate snow forecasts
- 📊 Detailed weather data and maps
- 🗺️ Comprehensive coverage of ski resorts
- 💻 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🤖 Reliable and consistent forecasts
Room to improve
- 💰 Subscription model can be expensive
- 🌐 Limited coverage outside of North America
- 🕰️ Occasional delays in updating snow conditions
- 🤖 Inconsistent accuracy in long-term forecasts
- 🔒 Paywall restricts access to some features
Drive Weather
From 13K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent for planning long drives
- 🌄 Accurate weather forecasting along routes
- ⏱️ Ability to adjust departure time to avoid weather
- 👍 Helpful for RV and truck drivers
- 💡 Unique and valuable feature set
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance and glitches
- 🗺️ Inaccurate route planning and travel times
- 💰 Subscription model frustrates some users
- 📱 Limited functionality in free version
- 🤖 Clunky and outdated user interface
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
Drive Weather
Reported bugs
3 issues- App resets start location frequently
- Weather data not loading properly
- Inability to add waypoints between stops
Requested features
4 requests- Add road closure information
- Improve route planning and travel time estimates
- Provide more customization options
- Enhance user interface and overall usability
In-app purchases
OpenSnow
- OpenSnow Legacy$49.991 Year
- OpenSnow Base$49.991 Year
- OpenSnow Base Legacy$49.991 Year
Drive Weather
- Pro Version$5.991 Month
- Pro Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
- Drive Weather Pro$19.991 Year
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- Pro+ Annual$34.991 Year
- Annual Subscription$9.99
Questions
Is OpenSnow free?
Is Drive Weather free?
Which has better reviews, OpenSnow or Drive Weather?
Do OpenSnow or Drive Weather have ads?
Which is updated more often, OpenSnow or Drive Weather?
Which is more popular, OpenSnow or Drive Weather?
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