NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data vs playbuoy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data
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.
- Intuitive map interface
- Quick-view Favorites
- Tropical Storm/Hurricane/Cyclone locations
- Full buoy current conditions
- Past buoy data (Premium)
- Interactive graphs
- Home Screen Widgets
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NOAA Buoy Reports is the no-nonsense app focused exclusively on real-time buoy and ship observations worldwide - without the clutter of tide or weather forecasts. NOAA Buoy Reports includes: • Intuitive map interface • Quick-view Favorites • Locations of Tropical Storms, Hurricanes, and Cyclones from the NHC • Full buoy current conditions (always free) • Ship observations (free preview) • Buoy Cams (free preview) • Past buoy data up to 45 days (Premium feature) • Wave heights and directions (when available) • Wind, gusts, and directions (when available) • Air and Water temperatures (when available) • Atmospheric pressure (when available) • Interactive graphs • Units in Metric or English • Readings in your local time • Share data via iMessage, Email, Facebook, etc. • Full Dark Mode support • Home Screen, Lock Screen, and StandBy Mode Widgets to monitor your favorites Coverage includes more than 1000 buoys and 200 ships worldwide, spanning the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans near the U.S. and Canada, the Great Lakes, the Caribbean, and waters around Ireland and Great Britain. Simply tap any buoy or ship on the map to view its latest reported conditions. Tap again for a full summary or an interactive graph of recent trends, so you can see not only what’s happening now, but how conditions have changed over time. Add favorites to quickly view the locations that matter most to you, and monitor them anytime with the included widgets. This app DOES NOT provide tide data, or maritime or other weather forecasts. There are dedicated apps for these from other publishers that do an excellent job. This app specializes exclusively in buoy and ship observation data. Please note that not all buoys have all types of data available, and buoys do experience intermittent outages — a life at sea can be harsh! Additionally, note that some buoys may be seasonal, and may be physically removed from the water during winter months, such as in the Great Lakes. Raw source data courtesy of NOAA, National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), and the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Juggernaut Technology, Inc. is not associated with NOAA, NDBC, NHC, or any other government organization. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula
playbuoy
This app provides detailed swell observations and forecasts using NOAA buoy data and a custom algorithm. It offers beautiful, meaningful plots to compare real-time readings with model forecasts, helping you plan ocean activities.
- Detailed swell observations and forecasts
- Custom algorithm for accurate swell breakdown
- 16-day swell forecast data
- Up to five swell components displayed
- Visual comparison of buoy readings and model forecasts
- Full directional wave spectra visualization
- Widgets and watch complications
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playbuoy brings unparalleled insight into NOAA buoy wave readings. Detailed Swell Observations and Forecast. playbuoy analyzes NOAA buoy data with a customized algorithm to extract detailed swell information from raw buoy observations and wave models. This gives the most accurate breakdown of where swell is headed and when. With 16 days of forecasted swell data, you will always be informed of what to expect for whatever ocean activities you love. While other apps will show two swell components observed or forecasted, playbuoy will show up to five. Beautiful and Meaningful plots. Easily compare the the current buoy readings with model forecasts to prepare and plan for how the forecasts may not be matching up with what is actually happening in the ocean. No other service can visualize the full directional wave spectra for both buoy observations and wave models at once. Explore the latest buoy observations from all over the US and beyond to watch current weather events or plan for future activities. Or select your favorite buoys to keep the wave information you need the most a tap away. Widgets and watch complications keep the latest data a glance away. Never miss a swell again. Share plots and swell data with a custom share function to loop others in and make group plans for surfing, fishing, boating, or any other ocean activity you love.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: playbuoy at none against NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data's 2. playbuoy also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 74%). NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data's advantage is ratings volume (2.4K vs 15). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. playbuoy asks for nothing beyond the download.
playbuoy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data has 2.4K ratings behind it against 15, 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 100% of playbuoy's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data | playbuoy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (2.4K ratings) | 5.0 (15 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 73.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.4K — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 — better | 18.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Juggernaut Technology, Inc. | Matthew Iannucci |
Customer experience
NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data
playbuoy
Bugs and requests
NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data
Reported bugs
4 issues- 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
4 requests- GPS coordinates for buoys
- Ability to filter by data type
- Display past wave heights
- Bring back removed buoys
playbuoy
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data
- Pro Annual Subscription$7.991 Year
- Buoy Reports Premium$29.99
playbuoy
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data free?
Is playbuoy free?
Which has better reviews, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data or playbuoy?
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