Comparison

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data vs PredictCurrent

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

Head to head
About

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.

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
Currently charting
Read full description

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

About

PredictCurrent

Navigate coastal waters with detailed tidal and ocean current maps. Access 10-day forecasts for currents, wind, waves, and sea temperatures. Essential for safe marine planning and exploration.

Highlights
  • Ultra-high-resolution 100m tidal current maps
  • 400m and 4km global coastline coverage
  • 10-day animated forecasts for currents, wind, and waves
  • Hourly tide chart data
  • Wind-against-current interaction analysis
  • Sea temperature tracking
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Navigate coastal adventures with precision using real-time tidal current data from PredictWind. PredictCurrent delivers ultra-high-resolution 100m tidal current maps, plus 400m and 4km maps covering 90% of global coastlines. It also includes full ocean current coverage, empowering fishermen, sailors, and coastal explorers with essential tools for current tracking, tide planning, and marine navigation. Developed by PredictWind’s expert oceanographers, trusted globally for industry-leading forecasting, PredictCurrent supports confident and safe coastal navigation for boating, fishing, sailing, and kayaking. Why PredictCurrent - Unrivalled Precision: Ultra-high-resolution 100m tidal current maps provide unmatched detail for coastal tide planning, ideal for fishing, sailing, or paddle sports. Also includes 400m and 4km resolution maps. - Trusted Expertise: Built by PredictWind, pioneers in marine and ocean current forecasting, delivering professional-grade data. - Comprehensive Tracking: Monitor tidal currents, ocean currents, winds, waves, and sea temperatures with animated maps and hourly tide chart data for 10 days. - Coastal Navigation: Join fishermen, sailors, kayakers, and coastal explorers worldwide who rely on PredictWind’s marine weather and current data for informed navigation. Key Features - Ultra-High-Resolution 100m Tidal Current Maps: Visualise intricate nearshore water current movements with clarity, ideal for coastal navigation, route planning, and safety. - High-Resolution 400m & 4km Maps: Access tide and ocean current coverage for 90% of global coastlines, seamlessly integrated with live ocean current data. - Advanced Dashboard: Analyse wind-against-current interactions, wave heights, tide cycles, and directions using accurate ECMWF wind forecasts. - Animated 10-Day Forecasts: View dynamic tidal currents, ocean currents, wind, waves, and sea temperature forecasts on interactive marine maps. - Detailed Data Tables: Access hourly data on current speed and direction, plus alerts for wind-against-current situations. Tailored for fisherman, sailors, kayakers, and coastal adventurers, PredictCurrent offers essential tools for safe marine planning—backed by PredictWind’s proven ocean data and current tracking accuracy. Start with a 14-day free trial. Access ultra-high-resolution tidal current data, tide charts, ocean current forecasts, wind, waves, and sea temperature tools for your next coastal journey. Terms & Conditions: https://www.predictcurrent.com/terms-and-conditions Privacy Policy: https://www.predictcurrent.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data4 screens
PredictCurrent4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PredictCurrent at none against NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data's shown. PredictCurrent also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data's advantage is review sentiment (74% vs 57%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position 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. NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year and PredictCurrent sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $15.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data has 2.4K ratings behind it against 255, 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 57% of PredictCurrent's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data ships an update every 2 weeks, PredictCurrent monthly. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data versus PredictCurrent: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNOAA Buoy Reports & Ship DataPredictCurrent
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.4K ratings) — better4.5 (255 ratings)
Positive reviews74.2% of reviews — better56.6% of reviews
Number of ratings2.4K — better255
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#197#76 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJuggernaut Technology, Inc.PredictWind Limited

Customer experience

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data

All ratings2,432 ratings
Positive93.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive74.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative22.7%

PredictCurrent

All ratings255 ratings
Positive85.9%
Neutral2.7%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews76 reviews
Positive56.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative43.4%

User reviews

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data

From 2.4K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

PredictCurrent

From 255 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📊 Detailed hour-by-hour current visualizations
  • 🎯 Accurate tidal and current predictions
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 🌊 Comprehensive water condition data (wind, tide, waves, temperature)
  • 💼 Valuable competitive advantage for water sports professionals

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription pricing ($24-30 quarterly)
  • 🚫 Mandatory account creation required
  • 📍 Limited geographic coverage and location availability
  • ⏰ Forecast data limited to short timeframes (until 11am-noon next day)
  • 🔐 Privacy concerns regarding personal data collection

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

PredictCurrent

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Unable to add location error messages despite valid coordinates
  • Location setup fails to respond or complete
  • Password not saved correctly in database, preventing login
  • Account creation fails with character handling errors
  • App crashes when setting locations
Show 3 more
  • Free trial access inconsistent across devices
  • iPad version blocks access to charts despite iPhone trial access
  • Data unavailable errors at valid deep water locations

Requested features

9 requests
  • Extended forecast data for full 24-hour next day coverage
  • Smaller time increment stepping (sub-hourly) for racing
  • Exact tide turn time information beyond hourly data
  • Legend/symbol guide for app indicators
  • Improved coastal and estuarine modeling
Show 4 more
  • Better 100m resolution coverage beyond UK Solent region
  • Cross-platform synchronization between iPhone and iPad
  • Offline access to saved locations
  • Multi-language support (German, French, etc.)

In-app purchases

2 purchases

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data

Subscriptions1
  • Pro Annual Subscription$7.991 Year
One-time1
  • Buoy Reports Premium$29.99
5 purchases

PredictCurrent

Subscriptions5
  • PredictCurrent Pro 1-Month14 Days trial$15.001 Month
  • PredictCurrent Pro 3-Monthly14 Days trial$29.003 Months
  • PredictCurrent Pro 3-Monthly3 Days trial$29.003 Months
Show 2 more
  • PredictCurrent Pro 3-Monthly7 Days trial$29.003 Months
  • PredictCurrent Pro Annual14 Days trial$99.001 Year

Questions

Is NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data free?
NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PredictCurrent free?
PredictCurrent is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data or PredictCurrent?
NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data is rated higher. NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while PredictCurrent averages 4.5 from 255 ratings.
Do NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data or PredictCurrent have ads?
NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data shows ads; PredictCurrent does not.
Which is updated more often, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data or PredictCurrent?
NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data ships an update every 2 weeks, and PredictCurrent monthly. Most recently, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data was updated on September 23, 2026 and PredictCurrent on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data or PredictCurrent?
NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data currently peaks at #197 in the App Store charts, and PredictCurrent at #76. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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