Comparison

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data vs DISL ARCOS

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 • Add your own Wind, Wave, or Temperature graph levels • 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

DISL ARCOS

Access real-time environmental monitoring data collected since 2003 for Mobile Bay. Understand complex ecosystems and aid decision-making for natural disasters, economic enhancement, and environmental protection.

Highlights
  • Real-time environmental data
  • Meteorological data
  • Hydrographic data
  • Ecosystem understanding
  • Data for decision makers
  • Environmental protection insights
Features
Read full description

Since 2003, Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) has been collecting real-time environmental monitoring data in and around Mobile Bay. This app brings that data directly to you! The meteorological and hydrographic data provided by DISL is very important for understanding the complex ecosystems of Mobile Bay. Our overall goals and objectives are to continue to make this high-quality data available for decision makers, researchers, and the general public, not only to assist our users in forming effective strategies when faced with natural and man-made disasters, but also to enhance the economy, and to protect the environment.

Screenshots

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data4 screens
DISL ARCOS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DISL ARCOS at none against NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data's 2. DISL ARCOS also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 3) and chart position (#143 vs unranked). On price and device support 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. DISL ARCOS asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DISL ARCOS 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 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data versus DISL ARCOS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNOAA Buoy Reports & Ship DataDISL ARCOS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.5K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.5K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#143 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJuggernaut Technology, Inc.MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES CONSORTIUM

Customer experience

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data

All ratings2,460 ratings
Positive93.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews68 reviews
Positive73.5%
Neutral2.9%
Negative23.5%

DISL ARCOS

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

DISL ARCOS

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data

Subscriptions1
  • Pro Annual Subscription$7.991 Year
One-time1
  • Buoy Reports Premium$29.99
None

DISL ARCOS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data free?
NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DISL ARCOS free?
DISL ARCOS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data or DISL ARCOS?
DISL ARCOS is rated higher. NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while DISL ARCOS averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data or DISL ARCOS have ads?
NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data shows ads; DISL ARCOS does not.

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