Reliable weather data forms the basis for safety on the water and relaxed route planning. Apart from the large all-rounders, specialised apps offer high-resolution models for local areas directly on the tablet. However, confusing subscription models and complex functions often make it difficult to find the right system.
For a long time, professional software was only available in the form of expensive laptop versions such as Adrena or Expedition. Their prices started at around 500 euros and could reach several thousand euros for professional versions. Nowadays, the picture is different: there are now a large number of powerful mobile solutions for tablets and smartphones.
As it is almost impossible to carry out a comprehensive practical test of all available apps, we have concentrated on analysing the core functions and evaluating app store ratings. This overview should help you to better assess the strengths and weaknesses of the individual systems in order to make the right choice for your requirements and budget. The following compilation presents the most important apps for the 2026 season.
These are the 10 best weather apps:
DMI Vejr
The app from the Danish weather service offers high-resolution wind, gust, water level, swell and current forecasts in a map display. However, the forecast period is only three days. This also applies to the location-based meteograms, which show wind, temperature, cloud cover and precipitation. Rain radar and precipitation forecasts are separate graphics, so you cannot simply look into the future from the history.
DWD-WarningWeather
The WarnWetter app from the German Weather Service (DWD) is the official tool for official weather warnings in all German waters. In addition to coastal warnings for the North Sea and Baltic Sea, the app offers special inland lake warnings for large areas such as Lake Constance or the Bavarian lakes. It is particularly useful for water sports enthusiasts on rivers and canals thanks to the location-specific warnings down to municipal level, which provide information about thunderstorms, storms or heavy rain via push notifications. The application can also be used to track the paths of thunderstorm cells, lightning activity and high-resolution precipitation radars in real time in order to reliably assess the situation on site.
Rain alarm
Regen-Alarm is a specialised monitoring tool that keeps an eye on the boat's immediate location using rain radar. While classic weather apps such as the DWD often issue warnings over a large area, the added value here lies in the individual radius warning: the skipper defines a radius (e.g. 10 km) and the app immediately sounds the alarm as soon as a precipitation cell reaches this area. As the system is based on real-time radar data instead of calculated forecast models, it is ideally suited as a "watch" in the background. This means that you are warned of approaching showers or thunderstorm cells in good time by push message when anchoring or in the harbour, without having to constantly check the weather forecast yourself. The basic version of the app is free of charge and ad-financed. Functional enhancements for freedom from advertising, multiple alerts or additional settings can be activated either individually or permanently as a discounted package.
Rain Today
The app provides a short-term rain forecast for a period of 60 minutes. A key feature is the minute-by-minute forecasts for the onset of precipitation at the current location. The integrated HD rain radar enables detailed tracking of showers and thunderstorms on a map basis. The data coverage primarily includes Germany and neighbouring regions of Central Europe.
- only for iOS
- Costs: Free with adverts / Premium: €0.99 per month / three months €1.99 / per year €9.99
RainRadar
The "RegenRadar" app from WetterOnline offers a rain radar for Germany, Austria and Switzerland for 90 minutes in the past or for the future. The radar can be used to track clouds, rain, hail and snow live, as well as immediately recognising lightning during thunderstorms. The app makes it possible to follow the precipitation in a high-resolution film. The RainRadar is the most important tool for motorboat drivers in inland areas, allowing them to find a dry time window for their journey or to close the tarpaulin in good time before the heavy rain sets in.
Seaman
The Wetterwelt programme works with the company's own Grib data and offers two models with different resolutions and forecast periods of 48 and 120 hours. Wind, gusts, cloud cover and swell are forecast. A route can also be created, whereby the app generates a route weather forecast. The calculation is performed at constant boat speed.
- Web app for all systems
- Costs: free demo / 29€ per month / 59€ per year
SMHI Väder
The app from the Swedish weather service is based on the same models as the apps from DMI and Yr and provides very accurate forecasts, especially for northern Europe. In the map display, the resolution of the wind field is much coarser than in the DMI, and there are no gust or flow forecasts. Instead, rain radar and forecast are combined in one animation, and the meteograms offer a forecast period of ten days.
Windfinder
Windfinder remains a reliable tool for quickly comparing conditions in the cockpit. The strength of the app lies in the precise real-time data that is generated via a closely meshed network of global measuring stations. While the "Superforecast" offers an hourly forecast, the application is only suitable for large-scale weather planning at sea to a limited extent, as its focus is on individual locations. The main criticism is the presence of advertising in the free version and the confusing differentiation between the "Plus", "Free" and the outdated "Pro" versions. The ad-free Plus subscription is available for €12.99 per year.
Windy.com
Windy.com has established itself as the standard on many boats thanks to its clear graphical presentation of weather data. The fluid particle animations in particular enable the skipper to intuitively grasp wind and wave movements. A major advantage for cruise planning is the model comparison: the "Compare" function allows forecasts from ECMWF, GFS, ICON and AROME to be compared directly. Current enhancements also allow route planning along a manually plotted course. The restrictive pricing policy is usually criticised in the user comments, as the free version only offers three-hour intervals and the more precise one-hour forecast is reserved for paying premium customers. The subscription costs around €26 per year.
Yr
The Norwegian weather service only provides location-based tables and meteograms. Animations of the wind or current field are not provided. However, the forecast period is ten days. However, gusts are only forecast for the first three days. The app shows nearby weather stations and, if available, webcams via the area search, so that you can get an impression of the current situation on site.
David Ingelfinger
Volontär
