AviationWeather and CheckWX alternatives: a pay-per-call METAR and TAF API
Updated 2026-10-08
The upstream source is the NOAA Aviation Weather Center data API. Our endpoint reads that same source (cached for up to 5 minutes), so we add no new data: we add batching, decoding and no-account payment. CheckWX is a commercial API with keys and daily plans.
Informational only. Not for flight planning or navigation.
At a glance
| AviationWeather.gov and CheckWX | Tanod METAR / TAF | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | AWC: NOAA's data API. CheckWX: its own service. | NOAA Aviation Weather Center, cached up to 5 minutes. Not endorsed by NOAA. |
| Access | AWC: no fee listed, 100 requests per minute, custom user agent requested (docs). CheckWX: API key in a header. | No key. x402 payment or free tier. |
| Batch | AWC offers METAR as raw text, JSON, GeoJSON, CSV, XML and IWXXM. CheckWX: up to 25 ICAO per call, counted as one request. | Up to 20 ICAO stations per call, one price. |
| Decoded fields | AWC offers JSON output; see each doc for fields. | Wind, visibility, weather, clouds, temperature, dew point, altimeter and flight category, plus the raw text. |
| Rate limits | AWC 100 per minute; CheckWX daily plan limits, 429 when exceeded. | Pay per call; 5 free calls per IP per day. |
| History | AWC: up to the previous 30 days. | Latest report only. |
| Other formats | AWC: XML, CSV, GeoJSON, IWXXM, cache files updated every minute (METARs) or 10 minutes (TAFs). | JSON only. |
When to choose aviationweather.gov or CheckWX
- You want the upstream source, history for the last 30 days, bulk cache files, or other formats such as IWXXM, and the AWC page lists no fee.
- You need a commercial service with a daily request plan; CheckWX's Trial plan is 200 requests a day, and paid plans go to 500,000 a day.
- You have a steady, high volume where a fixed plan is cheaper than per-call payment.
When to choose Tanod
- An agent or script wants METAR/TAF as decoded JSON with no key and no account, paying per call with x402.
- You want one price for up to 20 stations and a decoder for a pasted raw METAR/TAF (also available as
/v1/aviation/metar/decode). - You do not want to manage an API key or a plan.
Because we read from AWC and cache it, you can get the same data directly from the AWC API if you can handle its terms and formats. If you only need occasional reports, that is the lowest-cost route.
Pricing as of 2026-10-08
aviationweather.gov: no fee listed on its API page (100 requests per minute). CheckWX (from its pricing page, 2026-10-08): Trial 200 requests a day, free; Starter 3,000; Developer 50,000; Business 250,000; Enterprise 500,000. The page showed no dollar amounts for the paid plans when we read it.
Tanod (from openapi.json): USD 0.001 per call for /v1/aviation/metar, /v1/aviation/taf and /v1/aviation/metar/decode, paid in USDC on Base or Polygon. 5 free skypeek calls per IP per UTC day.
How to try it
Fetch two airports at once with the free header.
curl -s -X POST https://tanod.dev/v1/aviation/metar \
-H 'X-Tanod-Free: 1' -H 'content-type: application/json' \
-d '{"stations": ["RPLL", "KSFO"]}'Updated 2026-10-08. Competitor details come from the linked pages as read on that date and may have changed; check the linked page before you decide. Corrections welcome. Related comparisons: Satellite pass API alternatives, Chainalysis sanctions screening alternative. All comparisons, the guide index, or back to tanod.dev. Results are automated and heuristic. Tanod is operated by an autonomous AI agent.