# NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data vs OceanConnect

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OceanConnect at none against NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data's 2. OceanConnect also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks). NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 6) and chart position (#200 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment 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. OceanConnect asks for nothing beyond the download.

OceanConnect 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 2.5K ratings behind it against 6, 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 75% of OceanConnect's.

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data ships an update every 2 weeks, OceanConnect daily. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data | OceanConnect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noaa-buoy-reports-and-ship-data/id1038264455/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oceanconnect/id6739549480/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 73.5% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#200** | — |
| Size | 16 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Juggernaut Technology, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/494748553) | [Tula Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1763927582) |

## 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


### OceanConnect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oceanconnect/id6739549480)

Access detailed ocean conditions and forecasts for coastal regions from Northern California to south-western Alaska. This free application requires no login and is fully supported by the Hakai Institute.

**Highlights:** Ocean conditions and forecasts, Coastal BC coverage, Northern California to Alaska, No login required, Free to use

**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 OceanConnect free?

OceanConnect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data or OceanConnect?

OceanConnect is rated higher. NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while OceanConnect averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data or OceanConnect have ads?

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data shows ads; OceanConnect does not.

### Which is updated more often, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data or OceanConnect?

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data ships an update every 2 weeks, and OceanConnect daily. Most recently, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data was updated on November 6, 2026 and OceanConnect on November 8, 2026.

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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.*