Comparison

OpenSnow vs CAIC

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 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 Forecast Anywhere Finding the location that has the best conditions can feel overwhelming. With OpenSnow, deciding where to go is easy. View the latest 15-day 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, Australia, and New Zealand. Have one of our expert local forecasters guide you to the best conditions. 3D & Offline Global Maps We make it easy to track incoming storms with super-res radar and global precipitation, radar, and snowfall maps. You can also view 3D maps for snow depth, avalanche risk, active fire perimeters, 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 • Estimated Trail Conditions • 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 • Satellite + Terrain Maps — 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

CAIC

Access up-to-date avalanche forecasts for Colorado's mountains. View summaries, discussions, current problems, and mountain weather. Submit observations directly to the center from your device.

Highlights
  • Up-to-date avalanche forecasts
  • Forecast summary and discussion
  • Current avalanche problems
  • Mountain weather forecast
  • Submit observations
  • Colorado-specific forecasts
Read full description

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center avalanche forecast on the go! View up-to-date avalanche forecasts for the mountains across Colorado, including the forecast summary, forecast discussion, current avalanche problems, and the mountain weather forecast. You can also submit observations directly to the CAIC from your mobile device! For more information about CAIC: https://colorado.gov/avalanche To help support CAIC: https://friendsofcaic.org

Screenshots

OpenSnow4 screens
CAIC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CAIC at none against OpenSnow's 3. CAIC also leads on iOS requirement (12.4 vs 17.0). OpenSnow's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months). 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. CAIC asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

OpenSnow holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OpenSnow has 9.1K ratings behind it against 15, 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 70% of CAIC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OpenSnow ships an update every 2 weeks, CAIC every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
OpenSnow versus CAIC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpenSnowCAIC
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (9.1K ratings) — better4.3 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews80.4% of reviews — better70.0% of reviews
Number of ratings9.1K — better15
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#62 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.012.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCloudnine Weather LLCFRIENDS OF COLORADO AVALANCHE INFORMATION CENTER

Customer experience

OpenSnow

All ratings9,054 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral1.2%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews836 reviews
Positive80.4%
Neutral3.7%
Negative15.9%

CAIC

All ratings15 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive70.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative20.0%

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

CAIC

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

CAIC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OpenSnow free?
OpenSnow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CAIC free?
CAIC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, OpenSnow or CAIC?
OpenSnow is rated higher. OpenSnow averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while CAIC averages 4.3 from 15 ratings.
Do OpenSnow or CAIC have ads?
Neither OpenSnow nor CAIC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OpenSnow or CAIC?
OpenSnow ships an update every 2 weeks, and CAIC every 6 months. Most recently, OpenSnow was updated on September 28, 2026 and CAIC on September 16, 2026.

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