The best Pixel Weather alternative

Ever because it debuted on the Pixel 9 collection in 2024, Google’s Pixel Weather app has been my go-to climate utility. I really like its simplistic and Pixel-y UI, the customizable house display, the superb pollen tracker, and extra. For what I need in a climate app, Pixel Weather checks nearly each field.

Recently, although, I’ve been utilizing one other app as a substitute. I stumbled throughout Gradient Weather whereas scrolling by Threads a bit of over every week in the past, and virtually instantly after downloading it, I knew I had discovered one thing particular.

Pixel Weather remains to be nice, however after utilizing Gradient WeatherI feel it is perhaps even higher.

Let’s get the vital (and barely boring) half out of the way in which first: climate accuracy. From my expertise utilizing Gradient Weather in southwest Michigan, I’ve been actually pleased with its forecasts.

Rather than utilizing a single supply for its climate information, Gradient Weather depends on a number of completely different sources (together with public climate stations, which you’ll be able to view on the climate map) and funnels that information into its “built-in accuracy engine,” which is meant to create forecasts as correct as doable. So far, it looks as if it is working.

In addition to offering information I can depend on, I feel Gradient Weather does a greater job of visualizing the climate than Pixel Weather.

For instance, within the screenshot above, Gradient Weather reveals the hourly forecast with a pleasant bar graph that reveals the temperature creeping up all through the day. Pixel Weather additionally has rising numbers with its hourly forecast, however with out an accompanying visible ingredient.

I additionally actually want how Gradient Weather presents climate alerts (comparable to climate watches and warnings). Not solely do alerts change colours relying on what they’re for, however Gradient additionally reveals the complete alert within the app, fairly than sending you to your browser to learn it the way in which Pixel Weather does.

There are different little touches like that all through Gradient Weather’s climate information. The dawn/sundown widget is healthier than Pixel Weather’s, exhibiting what number of hours and minutes of daylight stay, together with a extra detailed graph of the solar’s path. Seeing the present and upcoming moon part is an excellent contact, as is the functioning compass on the wind widget. These are small particulars, sure, however ones I actually admire.

Then there’s Gradient Weather’s climate map, which is a lot extra highly effective than Pixel Weather’s. Instead of simply exhibiting precipitation on the map, Gradient additionally contains filters for temperature, cloud cowl, wind pace, and strain. And, much like how one can report highway circumstances in Google Maps, Gradient Weather lets customers report real-time climate circumstances of their space — together with not simply circumstances like sunny and cloudy, but additionally rainbows and sunsets.

Something else Gradient Weather does higher than Pixel Weather is notifications. Google’s climate app can ship common climate forecast notifications, precipitation notifications, and… that is it.

Gradient Weather, then again, has ridiculously customizable notifications for each kind of climate situation you can ask for. You can get a notification about tomorrow’s climate every night, activate frost alert notifications for the autumn/winter months, and even obtain imminent rain alerts 10, 15, or 20 minutes earlier than rain is anticipated to start out. There’s a lot to dig into right here, and it actually places Pixel Weather to disgrace.

Finally, on the notice of customization, Gradient Weather is only a delight. You can change the app theme to match present climate circumstances, your telephone’s system accent coloration, or create a totally customized one. You can customise the darkish theme, change the font fashion, and fully rearrange the house display nonetheless you want. There are even customized app icons and a customizable widget (which is leaps and bounds higher than every other third-party climate app widget I’ve ever seen).

Comparing Gradient Weather side-by-side with Pixel Weather, Google’s app nonetheless has a few key benefits.

As it at present stands, Gradient Weather would not have an equal to Pixel Weather’s pollen tracker. There’s a “Pollen Alert” notification you possibly can allow, however it’s not at present supported in my space. As somebody with seasonal allergic reactions (and who lives with somebody with even worse allergic reactions), that is a bummer.

You additionally have to pay for a “Premium” membership to entry all of Gradient Weather’s options — specifically, full notification/alert assist, the entire theme and structure instruments, and widget customization. That’ll set you again $22/12 months, $3.50/month, or $33 for lifetime entry. I admire the choice for a one-time cost, and I’m comfortable to assist a small improvement crew, however it’s much less superb when Pixel Weather is 100% free to make use of.

However, with every little thing Gradient Weather will get proper — and the truth that you should use it on any android telephones, not just pixels — I feel it is honest to say that it is my new favourite weather app on Android. Is it excellent? No. But contemplating it was simply launched a bit of over every week in the past and is already this good, I can not wait to see the place it goes subsequent.

I nonetheless love Pixel Weather, however for now, Gradient has my coronary heart.