# NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data vs SailWindow

The clearest difference is price: NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data at Free against SailWindow's $0.99. NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data also leads on ratings volume (2.5K vs 2). SailWindow's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On chart position, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data is free to download; SailWindow costs $0.99 up front. NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. SailWindow asks for nothing beyond the download.

SailWindow 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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data ships an update every 2 weeks, SailWindow every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data | SailWindow |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noaa-buoy-reports-and-ship-data/id1038264455/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sailwindow/id6762101772/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 73.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #163 | **#84** |
| Size | 16 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Juggernaut Technology, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/494748553) | [DIMITRY BRAZNICHENKO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1876093981) |

## What reviewers say

### NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data

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

**Currently charting:** #163 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


### SailWindow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sailwindow/id6762101772)

**Currently charting:** #84 Top Paid · Weather (US App Store)

This app provides sailors with a focused marine weather view, combining forecast conditions, alerts, and buoy observations. It helps users quickly assess if conditions are good, questionable, or unsafe for sailing.

**Highlights:** Sailing window summary (Good, Caution, No-Go), NOAA marine forecast text, Wind, wave, and temperature charts, Active marine and weather alerts, Nearby buoy observations, Saved sailing locations, Local notification rules

**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 SailWindow free?

SailWindow costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

SailWindow is rated higher. NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while SailWindow averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

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

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

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

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data ships an update every 2 weeks, and SailWindow every 5 days. Most recently, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data was updated on October 29, 2026 and SailWindow on September 26, 2026.

### Which is more popular, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data or SailWindow?

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data currently peaks at #163 in the App Store charts, and SailWindow at #84. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

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