Scirocco vs Windy
Windy is a weather map for the whole planet, with dozens of animated layers and more than 15 models. Scirocco does one thing: it tells you, hour by hour, what the sea will do where you plan to go out in the Mediterranean. If you're chartering in Greece or Croatia or keep a boat in Italy, here is where each one fits.
🧭 Marine forecast, waypoints and route in one app with Scirocco → — free, no account.
Side by side
| Scirocco | Windy.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Forecast free, with banner ads. Pro without ads: $24.99/year (7-day free trial) or $3.99/week (3-day free trial) | Free; Windy Premium as an in-app purchase, from $2.99 to $29.99 |
| Animated weather maps | No: an hour-by-hour forecast for the place you pick | More than 50 maps: wind, gusts, waves, rain, storms, radar and satellite |
| Weather models | ItaliaMeteo ICON-2I (2 km) where available, compared with ICON-EU and ECMWF | More than 15: ECMWF, GFS, ICON, ICON-EU, ICON-D2, HRRR, NAM, AROME-HD, UKV and others |
| How much to trust the forecast | Spread between models and a high, medium or low reliability label | Model comparison; Premium adds a tool to find the best model |
| Forecast range | 7 days, hour by hour | 15-day outlook and 4-6 daily updates with Windy Premium |
| Waves and swell | Hourly waves, swell height, period and direction, water temperature | Waves, swell, wave power and sea temperature |
| Tide and current | Tide curve for the next 24 hours with highs, lows and range; current in knots | Tide forecast (map in Premium) and currents |
| Storms and fog | Thunderstorm risk and fog below 1 km flagged in the hourly view | Radar, lightning tracker, CAPE index, visibility and fog |
| Alerts | No | Live rain and storm alerts, custom alerts for wind |
| Offline at sea | The last forecast stays saved for 7 days | Not stated in the listing |
| Mediterranean wind names | Tramontana, Grecale, Levante, Scirocco and the other Med winds, in real time | Not stated in the listing |
| Compass, route and waypoints | Compass with course correction in words, route around the coast, waypoints and GPS tracks | — |
| US App Store rating | Not enough ratings yet | 4.8 out of 5 (80,150 ratings) |
| Requirements | iPhone with iOS 17 or later, Android 7.0 or later | iPhone with iOS 16 or later; also on Android, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch |
Highlighted: the stronger app on that point, where the difference is clear.
Which one to choose
Choose Scirocco if
- you're boating in the Mediterranean and want a quick answer on wind, gusts and waves where you're going
- you want to know whether the models agree before you leave the dock
- you lose signal offshore and need the last forecast saved on the phone
- you want compass, route and your marks in the same app as the forecast
Choose Windy.com if
- you want to see wind, waves and fronts move across a map
- you want to choose among more than 15 models or look past 7 days
- you need radar, lightning, webcams and custom alerts
- you boat outside the Med, or also fly, hike or ski and want one weather app for everything
Frequently asked questions
Is Windy free?
Yes, Windy.com is free to download and use. Windy Premium adds the 15-day outlook, 4-6 updates a day and extra maps like the tide forecast. On the US App Store it's sold as an in-app purchase from $2.99 to $29.99, depending on the plan (checked October 20, 2026).
Which weather model is most accurate in the Mediterranean?
No single model wins every day. Close to the coast, among islands and bays, a 2 km model like ICON-2I picks up local winds that a global model smooths out. The most useful signal is whether models agree: when they split, the forecast is uncertain. Scirocco shows that spread and a reliability label. ICON-2I only covers Italy and the nearby seas.
Does Windy have the ICON-2I model?
It's not in the model list on Windy's US App Store listing, which includes ICON, ICON-EU and ICON-D2 from the German weather service, ECMWF, GFS, AROME-HD and others. Scirocco uses ItaliaMeteo ICON-2I where it's available.
Does it work offline at sea?
Scirocco keeps the last forecast for 7 days, so offshore without coverage you still see the hours ahead, with an offline notice. Windy's listing doesn't mention offline use.
Are Windy.com and Windy.app the same app?
No. Windy.com is made by Windyty and is the animated map with many models. Windy.app is made by Windy Weather World and is built around wind sports, with over 30,000 spots and spot chats.
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Prices, features and ratings of the apps come from their US App Store listings on October 20, 2026 and may change: Scirocco, Windy.com.
Windy, Windy.com, Windyty, Windy.app and ECMWF are trademarks of their respective owners. Scirocco is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by them.