# NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data vs Ocean Wave Height

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data at 74% against Ocean Wave Height's 0%. NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.3) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 20 months). Ocean Wave Height's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. Ocean Wave Height asks for nothing beyond the download.

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data has 2.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data's written reviews are positive against 0% of Ocean Wave Height's.

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data ships an update every 2 weeks, Ocean Wave Height every 20 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data | Ocean Wave Height |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noaa-buoy-reports-and-ship-data/id1038264455/reviews)** | [1.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocean-wave-height/id1046976686/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **73.5% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 20 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#200** | — |
| Size | 16 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Juggernaut Technology, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/494748553) | [corey hoggard](https://appshunter.io/developer/1042853133) |

## What reviewers say

### NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noaa-buoy-reports-and-ship-data/id1038264455)

**Currently charting:** #200 Top Grossing · Weather (US App Store)

Access detailed buoy and ship observation data without weather forecasts or tide information. View current conditions, historical trends, and storm locations on an intuitive map. Monitor your favorite locations with customizable widgets.

**Highlights:** Intuitive map interface, Quick-view Favorites, Tropical Storm/Hurricane/Cyclone locations, Full buoy current conditions, Past buoy data (Premium), Interactive graphs, Home Screen Widgets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Annual Subscription | $7.99 | per year |
| Buoy Reports Premium | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Critical infrastructure
- 🚀 Excellent source of sea conditions
- 🚀 Valuable buoy information
- 👍 Plenty of information
- 👍 Great app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 More data needed
- 🐛 Incomplete and inaccurate
- 🐛 Wave height data not working
- 🐛 No buoy reports
- 🐛 No wave data

**Reported bugs**

- Buoy data not available most of the time
- Ships rarely contribute data
- Wave height data missing for certain areas
- Upgraded version still doesn't work

**Requested features**

- GPS coordinates for buoys
- Ability to filter by data type
- Display past wave heights
- Bring back removed buoys


### Ocean Wave Height

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocean-wave-height/id1046976686)

Access global wave height and direction data for activities like surfing, fishing, and beach visits. This tool provides essential information for planning your outdoor adventures.

**Highlights:** Global wave height data, Wave direction information, Useful for surfing, Useful for fishing, Useful for beachgoers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data free?

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ocean Wave Height free?

Ocean Wave Height is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data or Ocean Wave Height?

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data is rated higher. NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Ocean Wave Height averages 1.3 from 4 ratings.

### Do NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data or Ocean Wave Height have ads?

Both NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data and Ocean Wave Height show ads.

### Which is updated more often, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data or Ocean Wave Height?

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data ships an update every 2 weeks, and Ocean Wave Height every 20 months. Most recently, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data was updated on November 6, 2026 and Ocean Wave Height on November 5, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*