Dronecast and Altiwind are close relatives. Both show wind and gusts at height, the Kp index and an overall verdict based on your drone's limits. Dronecast is a native app on iPhone and Android and already has a no-fly-zone map. Altiwind is a web app with a longer free window (24 hours against 4) and a forecast it checks against the nearest airport's METAR. If you'll pay for Dronecast Pro anyway and want airspace in the same app, Dronecast is a good fit. If you want a useful free forecast and an accuracy check, try Altiwind.
Side by side
Checked October 2026. Dronecast prices are from the US App Store, and other stores and currencies differ.
| Altiwind | Dronecast | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free download; Pro listed at $2.99–$7.99/month or $24.99–$32.99/year |
| Free tier | Today plus the next 24 hours, 1 spot, 1 drone, go/no-go, Kp now, verified badge | Forecast for the next 4 hours |
| Platforms | Web app, installable on the home screen; native iPhone app planned | iPhone, Apple Vision, Android |
| Wind at flight altitude | 30, 60, 90 and 120 m (100–400 ft) | Yes, a wind profile from ground level to flight altitude |
| Gusts | Estimated gusts at each height | Wind and gust speeds at different altitudes |
| Kp / GPS | Kp now, weighted by latitude | Kp index plus visible satellites (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou) |
| Go/no-go per drone | Yes: within limits, marginal or outside limits, with reasons | Good or Poor flying conditions from your thresholds; drone presets |
| Forecast checked against METAR | Yes, nearest airport within 25 km | Not stated |
| Airspace | Not yet; informational overlays planned | Airport zones worldwide, DJI geo zones; UK zones and live NOTAMs on Pro |
| Account required | No | Not stated |
How Dronecast works
On iOS, Dronecast gets its forecasts from Apple Weather and refreshes them every minute, according to its App Store listing. Its FAQ explains the verdict. The app checks wind speed, temperature and precipitation against your thresholds, and if any one is red, the whole forecast reads "Poor flying conditions". The free plan shows the next 4 hours, and Pro unlocks the full 7-day hourly forecast, paid monthly or yearly. The app is ad-free, and the listing says it will stay that way.
Where Dronecast is better
- Satellites and GNSS settings. Dronecast counts the visible satellites and lets you choose which systems your drone uses (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo or BeiDou), as its how-to guide explains. Altiwind shows Kp only.
- Airspace today. In July 2026 Dronecast rebuilt its no-fly-zone map with airport zones worldwide and DJI geo zones. In the UK, Pro adds UAS geographical zones and live NOTAMs. Altiwind's airspace overlays are still planned.
- Drone presets. Recent updates added presets for FIMI models and 12 more across DJI, Autel and Antigravity.
- Native apps on both stores. It's on the App Store and Google Play. Altiwind runs in the browser for now.
- A rain map. An April 2026 update added a weather map with a precipitation layer, so you can watch showers approaching.
Where Altiwind is different
- A longer free window. Altiwind's free tier covers today plus the next 24 hours. Dronecast's free plan covers 4 hours. That's enough for a quick check, but not for planning tomorrow morning.
- A middle state. Dronecast's verdict has two states, Good and Poor. Altiwind's go/no-go score adds "marginal". Sustained wind is within your limits up to 60% of your drone's rated wind resistance and marginal up to 85%. Estimated gusts are within your limits up to 80% and marginal up to 100%. The worst check decides the colour.
- A forecast that gets checked. The verified forecast compares the last 6–24 hours of wind and gusts at the nearest METAR station with 2–3 models. It then picks the model with the smallest error and shows the bias, e.g. "Checked vs EGLL 40 min ago: running 3 km/h high".
- Regional models. Altiwind uses a high-resolution model where one exists: ICON-D2 in Central Europe, UKV 2 km in the UK, AROME in France and HRRR in the US. Elsewhere it uses ECMWF IFS. See weather models explained.
- A stated method for gusts aloft. The estimated gusts add the 10 m gust excess (gust minus mean wind) to the wind at your height, never less than 1.2× that wind.
- Kp adjusted for latitude. A Kp of 5 matters more in Scotland than in Spain. Altiwind adjusts it by geomagnetic latitude: +1 at 60° and above, no change from 50° to 60°, −1 from 40° to 50° and −2 below 40°. See Kp index for drones.
FAQ
Is Dronecast free?
It's a free download. Its FAQ says the free plan shows the next 4 hours, and Pro unlocks the full 7-day hourly forecast (checked October 2026).
Where does Dronecast's weather data come from?
Its App Store listing says Apple Weather. Altiwind uses Open-Meteo with a regional model per area, plus METAR reports from aviationweather.gov for the verified badge.
Do both show wind at altitude?
Yes. Dronecast shows a wind profile from the ground up to your flight altitude. Altiwind gives 30, 60, 90 and 120 m (100, 200, 300 and 400 ft). Read how wind changes with height.
Which one has airspace maps?
Dronecast does today. Altiwind's informational overlays are planned. Altiwind is weather guidance only and not for air navigation, so check official sources and your local rules.