Comparison

BeachCam vs Surf

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

BeachCam

View live beach webcams from global destinations to check surf and wind conditions. This app focuses exclusively on ocean views, providing direct streams without requiring an account or subscription for browsing.

Highlights
  • Live beach webcam streams worldwide
  • Check surf and wind conditions
  • Browse by region
  • Save favorite spots
  • Cast to TV via AirPlay
  • No account or subscription needed for browsing
Features
Read full description

Check the surf before you leave the house. BeachCam streams live beach webcams from around the world — direct to your phone, no account needed, no fuss. Waves firing in Nazaré? Flat as glass in Scheveningen? Storm rolling into Bali? See it live, right now. — WHY BEACHCAM — Most webcam apps try to show you everything: city squares, traffic junctions, airport terminals. BeachCam does one thing: beaches. Every camera in the app faces the ocean. That means surfers, kiters, swimmers, and beach lovers get exactly what they came for — no noise. — WHAT YOU CAN DO — • Watch live streams from beach destinations worldwide • Check surf and wind conditions before heading out • Browse by region — Europe, Asia, Americas, and more • Save your favourite spots for instant access • Cast to your TV via AirPlay for the full experience — BUILT FOR — Surfers who want to check the break before driving an hour. Kiters scouting wind conditions. Travellers daydreaming about their next destination. Expats watching their home beach from the other side of the world. Parents on a rainy day, giving the kids a window to the sea. — NO BLOAT — No login. No subscription required to browse. No irrelevant cameras. BeachCam opens fast and gets straight to the stream you want. — ALWAYS GROWING — New cameras are added regularly. If your favourite beach isn't covered yet, let us know — we prioritise requests from our community. Whether you're a daily surfer or just someone who finds moving water calming, BeachCam gives you the ocean whenever you need it. Download free. The beach is always open.

About

Surf

Get simple, accurate surf forecasts for over 7,000 breaks worldwide. Plan your sessions with detailed wave information, tide times, and mapping to find the best conditions and nearby spots. Access extended forecasts and custom alerts with premium features.

Highlights
  • Detailed surf forecasts
  • Wavefinder map
  • Live webcam links
  • Tide times
  • 12-day forecasts
  • Custom surf alerts
Features
Read full description

Surf-Forecast.com gives you simple, accurate and easy-to-read surf forecasts so you have the best chance of hitting those breaks when the waves are pumping. Built by surfers, for surfers, and trusted by millions of surfers for over 20 years, our updated app lets you see all your favorite surf spots at a glance. Providing detailed surf forecasts for over 7,000 breaks worldwide, our new features let you see further ahead than ever before - giving you plenty of advance warning for when those swells start coming in. Find the best surfing conditions near you and use the rating tool to find exactly when to go. – FREE App Features ⁃ Detailed surf forecasts ⁃ Wavefinder map ⁃ Live webcam links ⁃ Multi-swell component presentation ⁃ Tide times ⁃ Detailed mapping to locate nearby breaks – Surf Premium Benefits ⁃ Access to the full 16 days of our new Wavefinder feature ⁃ Hourly forecasts ⁃ 16 day forecasts ⁃ Custom surf alerts ⁃ Ad-free browsing on our website So what are you waiting for? Grab your board and get exploring. We’ll see you out there! For the full Terms and Conditions of this service please visit: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

BeachCam3 screens
Surf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Surf at 4.9 against BeachCam's 2.4. Surf also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 50%) and ratings volume (1K vs 5). BeachCam's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Surf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. BeachCam asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Surf holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf has 1K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of BeachCam's written reviews are positive against 86% of Surf's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BeachCam ships an update fortnightly, Surf every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
BeachCam versus Surf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBeachCamSurf
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.4 (5 ratings)4.9 (1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews86.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings51K — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#111 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB138 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCheckout BVMeteo365 Ltd.

Customer experience

BeachCam

All ratings5 ratings
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Surf

All ratings940 ratings
Positive99.3%
Neutral0.1%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive86.4%
Neutral4.0%
Negative9.6%

Bugs and requests

BeachCam

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Surf

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes or freezes on some devices
  • Geolocation issues with break markers

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to manually refresh data
  • More detailed tidal/current information
  • Expanded location coverage
  • Improved accuracy for wave height/conditions

In-app purchases

None

BeachCam

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Surf

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Service: Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium Service (Yearly)$34.991 Year

Questions

Is BeachCam free?
BeachCam is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Surf free?
Surf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BeachCam or Surf?
Surf is rated higher. BeachCam averages 2.4 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Surf averages 4.9 from 1K ratings.
Do BeachCam or Surf have ads?
Surf shows ads; BeachCam does not.
Which is updated more often, BeachCam or Surf?
BeachCam ships an update fortnightly, and Surf every 6 weeks. Most recently, BeachCam was updated on November 1, 2026 and Surf on November 3, 2026.

Other comparisons