# NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data vs PredictCurrent

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data | PredictCurrent |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noaa-buoy-reports-and-ship-data/id1038264455/reviews)** | [4.5 (255 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/predictcurrent/id6468610449/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.4K** | 255 |
| Positive reviews | **74.2% of reviews** | 56.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #164 | **#79** |
| Size | 16 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Juggernaut Technology, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/494748553) | [PredictWind Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/477048590) |

## What reviewers say

### NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data

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

**Currently charting:** #164 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

**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


### PredictCurrent

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/predictcurrent/id6468610449)

**Currently charting:** #79 Top Grossing · Weather (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PredictCurrent Pro 1-Month | $15.00 | per month |
| PredictCurrent Pro 3-Monthly | $29.00 | per 3 months |
| PredictCurrent Pro 3-Monthly | $29.00 | per 3 months |
| PredictCurrent Pro 3-Monthly | $29.00 | per 3 months |
| PredictCurrent Pro Annual | $99.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📊 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## 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 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 #164 in the App Store charts, and PredictCurrent at #79. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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