Curiously, I haven't seen any mention of Google Earth Engine (GEE) in these comments so far. On top of offering a massive data repo of optical and SAR satellite imagery dating back to the 70s (LANDSAT 1-9, Sentinel 1-2 and others), it also has a Python API module (and thus can also use GIS, web integration etc.) and you can also use the in-browser JavaScript version (GEE Code Editor) all for free. With that, you can create your own indexes for whatever purpose with some image arithmetics. Its business model is that you have to pay monthly if you're sourcing massive amounts of data or using it at enterprise scale. I think the best part of the JS version (despite being slow at times) is being able to share an entire project with a link.

It seems that Nimbo is trying to offer a more analysis-ready alternative with some pre-processing like cloud removal done beforehand, which can be done yourself with some coding and with greater control on GEE. The lack of mention of the exact spatial or temporal resolution and surface coverage is an odd choice to me. These parameters are what I look for first and foremost when considering alternative data sources. With multiple data products, I think the website should atleast give a range (Minutes, days? Centimeter, meters?) of what resolutions are available. The comparison with Google Earth seen on the website is also bizarre to me as GEE is a more apt comparison because it is specifically meant for manipulating and sourcing satellite imagery. It would be more compelling to see a comparison of that instead.

I previously used GEE at university for flood mapping and mapping forest fire damage. This tool is also actively being used in peer reviewed journals with a large community around it. And yes, you can use it to see the effects of climate change and human impact on nature, I will leave it as an exercise for you to search for examples.

This is a good business model. I can see the product for free and if I have a use for more than personal level of access I can buy.

Who's satellites does this use? I remember planet.com had a free tier too, then went entirely pay walled.

Nice. I like that they solved the cloud problem which Google Maps failed to solve.

Unfortunately they haven't quite been able to stitch up the world properly.

Eg: the International Date Line: https://imgur.com/a/ZGNTIsd

Many applications educating us about human's influence on earth and climate change can be realized with this tool. I'm wondering if and how this service could also be used to quicker stop conflicts and bring peace to the world. Any ideas?

Why is this provided for free?

Server seems to be struggling to respond currently...

At the lower end of the market, the main competition (Google, Bing, Apple) are totally free. The emphasis on QGIS support suggests that they're hoping to capture "prosumer" and smaller business applications that would get value out of a more professional toolset but aren't in a position to get into the ESRI pricing tier. If you can get people to do their basic looking around in your product for free, you have a way better chance of making some money off of them when they want a more specialized product from time to time.

I'm in that sort of position, I have research projects that I've even paid for custom satellite tasking for (not as expensive as you would think these days!), but I don't have the budget for a costly subscription. It's only in recent years that there are services that appeal to these lower-dollar user types though. The free for the basics, fee for analytics and tasking model is pretty common for newer remote sensing companies and I think the trend will continue.

It's also based on open and freely accessible data: Sentinel2.

That's not to take anything away from what they're doing. They've done a very very nice job. But there's a precedent for folks expecting open data and paying for additional services/etc.

Advertising and free samples, in short. From their explanations:

Nimbo features and satellite layers open for everyone

We have indeed chosen to let everyone explore our whole dataset of satellite images for free, so that more people, even not specialized in the field, can give a go at navigating geospatial imagery.

That is why all our features are entirely available for all geography enthusiasts to enjoy : split view, swipe and our amazing timelapse animation tool. Also free are our four satellite layers, namely natural colors, infrared, NDVI (vegetation health) and radar. A fifth layer, displaying our LAI index, can be accessed under a paid plan.

Free satellite views, but not unlimited

So subscription to, and use of Nimbo Earth Online is entirely free. Free, but not unlimited. This means that any user will get an amount of browsing credits per month – we call them geocredits – to navigate our maps as they please. Once these credits run out, all services will stop until they automatically refill at the start of the following month. So, kind of like a mobile phone plan, but at no charge.

But don’t worry, Nimbo’s free geocredit allocation is amply sufficient to enjoy Earth exploration as you please. And should you need more, just get in touch with us to learn more about our paid plans !

It's interesting that this common decision, both for business and 'mission' purposes (often people also love what they do, the community around it, etc.), is mysterious.

Probably attracting business customers. Kinda like Tailscale.