What could be worse than taking a trip with your drone only to have the weather simply too poor to fly?
Or maybe there are not enough satellites to fly your DJI drone.
Things like this happen more often than you might imagine, especially if you fail to plan your flights adequately.
That’s why one part of pre-flight planning is considering if the weather is suitable via different apps you can install on your phone or computer.
However, most drone app weather reports are a bit different than the usual weather apps you might know, and they focus specifically on on-location pre-flight weather checklists.
To help you with your own flight planning, I would like to share several apps we often use at Droneblog when we’re planning our drone flight.
To help, we’ve identified and reviewed the best drone courses for beginners and professionals.
Why weather apps for drones
Most of us are not meteorologists, and trying to read complex weather patterns to see if the weather will be suitable for flying our drones is not the best solution. Neither is listening in to automated airport weather reports, though if you’ve gotten your Part 107, theoretically you should know how.
And yes, I’m still talking about the pre-flight weather checklist, and it is not only about whether it will rain or not.
Wind speeds and gusts, satellites, visibility, and Kp are only a few of the factors we have to consider. Dedicated drone weather apps can accurately predict more than the weather, from a few hours to a few days ahead.
» MORE: How Does Weather Affect Drones? (Explained for Beginners)
Without any further ado, let’s see what the best drone weather apps are.
And if you’re in a rush, you can jump straight to the app section by clicking the text.
Best weather apps for Drones:
- UAV Forecast
- Dronecast
- Drone Assist – Flight Planning
- Drone Forecast: Drone Weather Assist for UAVs
- Aura – Smart Weather for Drones
1 – UAV Forecast
| UAV Forecast | Features |
|---|---|
| Basic Features | Weather conditions Sunrise and sunset time Temperature and dew point Wind, wind gusts, and wind directions Precipitation probability, cloud cover, and visibility Visible sats, sats locked, and Kp index Hourly weather cast |
| Advanced Features | Complex forecast system, depending on the tier. Wind profile with wind speeds, gusts, and temperature at different altitudes (between 33ft and 400ft for free tier) Charts with several detailed features No-fly zone areas (can be set up for many drones) |
| Availability | iOS (iPhone), Android (Phones), Tablets (both iOS and Android), Web Version |
| Price (with approximation) | Free version Value Subscription – One Month $0.99 Value Subscription – One Year $9.99 Hobby Subscription – One Month $4.99 Hobby Subscription – One Year $29.99 Professional – One Month $9.99 Professional – One Year $69.99 |
✅ Pros
- Professional weather forecast app made for drone pilots, available worldwide
- It has a free tier to use, so you won’t have to pay a dime
- Simple interface, easy to navigate and use
- Advanced features and in-depth analysis
- Forecast up to 14 days
- Wind profile and charts
- Interactive map where you can check any zone you like if you can fly the drone there.
❌ Cons
- Subscription-based with many features locked behind a paywall
- No lifetime subscription is available
- The professional tier is quite expensive (to unlock everything) for most of us.
- No more than 3-hour forecast for the free tier
Overview
I’ve been using this application on my phone for years, and it was my day-to-day weather pre-flight checklist when I wanted to fly a drone in specific areas.
It’s very reliable, and the weather predictions are quite accurate. It is indeed one of the best-known weather apps for drone flights.
Not long ago, this app had more features accessible with the free plan. Now, we find more restricted information behind the paywall where you have to have an active subscription for the app.
Overall, it is not expensive, but I dislike that if you want to get all the information from the app, you need to subscribe to the highest-tier plan, which is not ideal and can get quite pricey.
It is one of the best solutions for professional drone pilots, though.
I would have also loved to see a lifetime subscription – Yes, personally, I would be willing to pay even $100 for this app for a lifetime subscription because the data you get from it is simply unmatchable, and it is the best app out there.
Moreover, this app has integrated no-fly restricted zones that you can see entirely on the maps, just as you can check the weather patterns on the map.
So, UAV Forecast is known as the best drone weather app, just as DJI is known as the best drone manufacturer – it is one of the most popular ones out there.
And for most entry-level drone pilots, checking the weather predictions three hours before flying should be more than enough.
» MORE: DJI Mini 2 SE and Weather (Explained for Beginners)
2 – Dronecast
| Dronecast | Features |
|---|---|
| Basic Features | General weather conditions Wind speed, gust, and direction Temperature and precipitation Visibility, cloud coverage, sunrise and sunset |
| Advanced Features | Hourly breakdown Non-interactive map with advisories |
| Availability | iOS – App Store Android – Google Play Store |
| Price (with approximation) | Free version Pro Monthly Subscription $2.99 Pro Yearly Subscription $24.99 |
✅ Pros
- Detailed report of flying conditions, an app made for drone pilots
- You can check the hourly forecast for up to two days in advance on the free plan
- Non-interactive map with no-fly zones included
- Lots of features found in the free plan
- Simple to use and phone-friendly app
❌ Cons
- The pro plan price is quite high for only a few extra features
- Although simple to use, the app has fewer features than similar ones.
Overview
Not everyone loves UAV Forecast, so we have Dronecast as a superb alternative.
As an app made for drone pilots with quite a few features, I love this program, and I have had it installed on my iPhone for quite some time.
It is not as advanced as other apps, but I like that you can see in advance for two full days what the weather will be in a specific location, which is a bit more than in some other standard weather apps.
But this app is missing the satellite information, so if you plan to fly a GPS drone, you won’t have any data about this.
Also, Dronecast has a simple map where you can find non-weather information and see the no-fly restricted areas. It’s a great tool if you’re looking to fly a drone somewhere and want to check if the zone is prohibited for drones.
Dronecast used to pull weather information from Dark Sky, but this support ended in 2023, so it moved to Apple Weather; you can choose the weather source in the app page settings.
» MORE: Best Drones for Cold Weather
3 – Drone Assist – Flight Planning
| Drone Assist | Features |
|---|---|
| Basic Features | Weather data such as wind speed, direction, temperature, chance of rain and rainfall, cloud coverage and more No fly restricted airspace on an interactive map |
| Advanced Features | Creating complex flight plans Request flight approvals and talk to the control tower Manage no-fly zones and airspace alerts |
| Availability | iOS (App Store), Android (Google Play Store) |
| Price (with approximation) | Free version (no ads) |
✅ Pros
- More than a weather app – complete drone planning app with many features
- It has an interactive map with no-fly zones and data about them
- You can request flight approvals, manage your own airspace alert, query zones and organizations
- The app is entirely free, with no ads and no premium plans.
- Decent weather data
❌ Cons
- The app should not be mainly used as a weather app but as a flight plan app with weather data incorporated.
- The weather prediction doesn’t go much ahead.
Overview
If you are looking for more than a simple weather app for your drone, then I recommend Drone Assist. Although not mainly designed as a weather app, it has enough information to short-plan your drone flight based on the weather conditions.
But the beauty of this app is that you can check no-fly zones and find information about them, with the ability to plan flights and even contact restricted airspace responsible parties for flight approval.
However, if you’re looking for more than checking the weather and no-fly zones, you’ll have to register with an account and even upload documents to be used for legally planning a drone flight or getting approved to fly in no-fly zones.
Many pilots feel uncomfortable submitting their personal details and pilot details to a 3rd party corporation and prefer to get them personally approved directly by the party controlling the no-fly zones.
» MORE: DJI Air 2S in Extreme Weather (Explained)
4 – Drone Forecast: Drone Weather Assist for UAVs
| Drone Forecast (Drone Weather Assist) | Features |
|---|---|
| Basic Features | Weather, cloud cover, and visibility Wind, gust, and direction, Precipitation, humidity, temperature Sunrise & Sunset, UV index KP index, Satellites |
| Advanced Features | Pre-flight checklist helper Advanced wind patterns data Map incorporated with DJI No Fly Zone Weather map (under premium) |
| Availability | iOS (App Store), Android (Google Play Store) |
| Price (with approximation) | Free version with Ads Drone Weather for UAV: 1 week $1.49 Drone Forecast – 1 month $3.99 Drone Weather for UAV: 1 year $19.99 Drone Forecast: Lifetime $59.99 |
✅ Pros
- Weather patterns and data for the day under the free version
- Complex weather system data
- Many features are unlocked under the free version
- No-fly zones on a map
- Weather map under premium
- Pre-flight checklist helper
- It has sattelites and KP index
- The ability to buy a lifetime premium, so no more monthly fees.
❌ Cons
- Up-to-date data is available only under a premium subscription
- No indications as to whether the weather conditions and satellites are good enough to fly the drone – you just have to guess if it’s okay.
Overview
If you’re looking for yet another weather app for your drone alternative, the Drone Forecast is a massive help with offering us more than enough weather data, info about no-fly zones, and an interactive map.
Moreover, what I love about this app is that you have a pre-flight checklist you can “tick” to ensure you’re up to speed before taking off your drone.
That’s super great. But I never understood why “Drone Forecast,” as it’s named once the app is installed, comes under different names on the App Store and Google Play; moreover, I was unable to even find an official website.
But you’ll be surprised how good this app is.
The only downside I can really think of, which would be a massive help, is if we could have a color-coded recommendation as to whether “it is good to fly or not” based on temperature, precipitation, KV, and more – at least something similar to UAV Forecast, which nailed it big time!
I have had this app installed on my iPhone for a while, but sadly, I haven’t used it too much – I never understood why, as the data they offer is actually very great, especially under the free version.
Of course, if you’re looking for more, you also have the premium version, as with most apps nowadays.
» MORE: Flying a Drone in Hot Weather (Things You Should Know)
5 – Aura – Smart Weather for Drones
| Aura (Weather for Drones) | Features |
|---|---|
| Basic Features | Temperature & Current weather Wind speed, direction, and gust Satellites, GPS signal, and solar activity Precipitation and visibility Humidity Weather alerts No fly zone map Color-coded score to fly |
| Advanced Features | Active weather scanner Travel planning (with weather) |
| Availability | iOS (App Store) Also available for iPads and Apple Watch |
| Price (with approximation) | Free version with Ads Aura subscription-based monthly or yearly (Price may vary) Aura Pro at $49.99 (everything unlocked & no ads) |
✅ Pros
- Simple to use app with more than enough data to plan your drone flight
- Can plan up to 8 hours ahead on the free plan
- It has a “Pro” version, “Aura Pro,” which has everything unlocked.
- Not much stuff locked behind a paywall
- It has GPS & Sats, and also the location of the nearest storm
- Interactive map with no-fly zones
❌ Cons
- Within the free version, ad pop-ups can be pretty annoying (non-timed ads)
- It has a strange sound notification when navigating the app and updating data, something I have never seen with any other apps out there, which cannot be disabled (at least not on the free version or within the app).
Overview
At Droneblog, we test not only drones but also accessories and apps with guides and tutorials to help you understand them better.
The Aura app is one of my favorite apps to pre-check the weather and sats lock before flying any drone, and I love that even with the free feature, you can get up to 8 hours ahead of weather information.
The only thing I don’t like is that the interface feels clogged with pop-ups and notification sounds I have not seen in any other weather apps. So, for the best experience, you do have to go premium, which I have noticed is often 50% off per subscription.
But if you’re looking for the pro app version to purchase, this is pretty expensive at $50, so consider wisely.
This app has one feature (available in Pro) that no other weather app for drones has – this is the storm prediction and location of the nearest storm.
This is a valuable feature even if the weather is okay in the area where you want to fly a drone in the future, but you get storm predictions nearby that may eventually affect your local weather.
» MORE: DJI Mini 3 and Weather (Explained for Beginners)
What to consider before planning a drone flight (weather-wise)
When you plan a drone flight, whether you’re planning for standard GPS drones, FPV drones, or fixed-wing, you must make a pre-flight checklist.
While many drone pilots ignore the weather patterns that may affect drone flights, this is a foolhardy thing to do.
We have mentioned the core weather apps designed for drones or planning apps that should help you plan a drone flight. Keep in mind that there are many more great apps out there that we didn’t include on the list.
Now, depending on what type of drone you fly, there are multiple factors to take into consideration.
For instance, with standard GPS drones, having enough satellites should not be overlooked – you need your GPS signal to be full to take advantage of many intelligent functions.
With FPV drones, you don’t need much pre-planning in terms of weather, except for rain and good visibility.
But with fixed-wing, winds and wind gusts are your main enemy – even light winds can affect a fixed-wing flight, and where standard GPS and FPV drones can fly well even in stronger winds, fixed-wing cannot.
That’s why you need to plan ahead for your travel with a drone by using a dedicated drone weather app. Take into consideration the following characteristics.
» MORE: Drone Photography Planning (Explained for Beginners)
Wind Speed, Gusts, and Direction
Wind is the number one enemy of a drone pilot. Flying any UAV in windy conditions can be problematic, from bad stability to wrong calculations when flying long-range (e.g., tailwind one direction and against the wind on return).
This can even result in crashing a drone or miss-calculating the return to home based on battery capacity.
The wind is an important element to account for when flying a drone (after rain, of course).
But just be aware that most weather apps will only show the wind at ground level.
Therefore, apps like UAV Forecast are most helpful for showing wind speed and gusts at different altitudes, for instance, up to 400ft with the free version.
So here’s the catch – take into account the worst wind speeds and gusts scenarios at the highest height you’ll fly the drone (how high) above ground level.
» MORE: Can a Drone Fly in Strong Winds? (With Flight Tips)
Precipitation, Temperature, and Visibility
It should be a no-brainer that flying your drone in bad weather conditions can come with severe consequences, from the chance of your drone crashing to damaging property or hurting someone.
Precipitation chance per zone is usually covered by even the most basic weather apps, the same as the temperatures. Less often covered is visibility.
Any drone weather app that covers these, plus any additional data, is helpful to pre-plan a drone flight. You don’t want your drone to be caught in the middle of a storm or sudden decrease in visibility.
At least, I don’t.
» MORE: Can You Fly a Drone in Light Rain?
Satellites and Kp index
One of the most unique features of drone weather apps is the number of satellites or locked satellites in the sky and the Kp index.
When flying GPS drones, we rely on satellites for the return-to-home function, to know the drone’s precise location, hovering stability, and even for intelligent functions.
These apps should tell you exactly how many satellites currently are, or even predict how many could be, at a specific hour, in the sky.
But here’s another feature we don’t often find, just with a few drone weather apps: the Kp index.
What’s that?
It’s an indicator of disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field. Some of these apps use these Geomagnetic alerts to tell you it is not good to fly a drone at that time.
While solar flares and geomagnetic events do not directly affect a drone’s flight, they do affect the number of satellites your GPS drone can acquire, and during this time, your drone may even fail to connect with any.
So, unless you’re flying an FPV drone or any drone that does not function on GPS modules, take the Kp as a factor before you plan your drone flight.
But remember that Kp is difficult to predict, just as it is challenging to predict solar flares.