Comparison

UAV Forecast vs Surf

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

Head to head
About

UAV Forecast

This app provides a comprehensive weather forecast and flight condition analysis for drone pilots. It includes hyperlocal wind data, GPS satellite information, solar activity, and no-fly zones. Get color-coded "Good To Fly" or "Not Good To Fly" assessments with customizable thresholds.

Highlights
  • Hyperlocal wind and gust speeds
  • GPS satellite data (Galileo, GLONASS)
  • Solar weather (Kp) index
  • No-Fly Zone and flight restrictions
  • Hourly forecasts up to 15 days
  • Color-coded flight condition analysis
  • Configurable thresholds
Features
Read full description

When will it be good to fly your quadcopter? See the weather forecast, GPS satellites, solar activity (Kp), No-Fly Zones and flight restrictions, all in one convenient tool. Perfect for DJI Neo, Mini, Mavic, Air, Inspire, FPV, and Hover, Autel and Skydio drones, and many other Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Systems. UAV Forecast is the original, best, and classic tool for drone pilots. Suitable for both beginners and advanced pilots, recreational and commercial, features include: • Hyperlocal weather data, including detailed wind and gust speeds at ground level and at any altitude. • GPS satellite data including Galileo and GLONASS, solar weather (Kp) index, and more. • Hourly forecasts up to 15 days. • Automatic color-coded analysis of the conditions: green for Good To Fly, red for Not Good To Fly. • Fully configurable thresholds. • Light and Dark themes, with automatic switching at sunrise and sunset. • Location search and Favorite Locations. • Full tablet support. Our users include paraglider and paramotor pilots too. Become a subscriber for 24-hour, 7-day, or 15-day hourly forecast and many other features. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period at the same price you originally paid. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Terms: https://www.uavforecast.com/terms

About

Surf

Get simple, accurate surf forecasts for over 7,000 breaks worldwide. Plan your sessions with detailed wave information, tide times, and mapping to find the best conditions and nearby spots. Access extended forecasts and custom alerts with premium features.

Highlights
  • Detailed surf forecasts
  • Wavefinder map
  • Live webcam links
  • Tide times
  • 12-day forecasts
  • Custom surf alerts
Features
Read full description

Surf-Forecast.com gives you simple, accurate and easy-to-read surf forecasts so you have the best chance of hitting those breaks when the waves are pumping. Built by surfers, for surfers, and trusted by millions of surfers for over 20 years, our updated app lets you see all your favorite surf spots at a glance. Providing detailed surf forecasts for over 7,000 breaks worldwide, our new features let you see further ahead than ever before - giving you plenty of advance warning for when those swells start coming in. Find the best surfing conditions near you and use the rating tool to find exactly when to go. – FREE App Features ⁃ Detailed surf forecasts ⁃ Wavefinder map ⁃ Live webcam links ⁃ Multi-swell component presentation ⁃ Tide times ⁃ Detailed mapping to locate nearby breaks – Surf Premium Benefits ⁃ Access to the full 16 days of our new Wavefinder feature ⁃ Hourly forecasts ⁃ 16 day forecasts ⁃ Custom surf alerts ⁃ Ad-free browsing on our website So what are you waiting for? Grab your board and get exploring. We’ll see you out there! For the full Terms and Conditions of this service please visit: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

UAV Forecast4 screens
Surf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Surf at 87% against UAV Forecast's 33%. Surf also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6). UAV Forecast's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. UAV Forecast sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Surf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Surf holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.5K and 940 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of UAV Forecast's written reviews are positive against 87% of Surf's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

UAV Forecast ships an update every 5 days, Surf every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
UAV Forecast versus Surf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUAV ForecastSurf
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (3.5K ratings)4.9 (940 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.2% of reviews87.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.5K — better940
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#24 — better#80
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size83 MB138 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatthew LLOYDMeteo365 Ltd.

Customer experience

UAV Forecast

All ratings3,505 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral1.3%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews753 reviews
Positive33.2%
Neutral4.9%
Negative61.9%

Surf

All ratings940 ratings
Positive99.3%
Neutral0.1%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews124 reviews
Positive87.1%
Neutral3.2%
Negative9.7%

User reviews

UAV Forecast

From 3.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great planning tool
  • 👍 Useful and well-designed
  • 🚀 Excellent app for UAV pilots
  • 👍 Fantastic tool
  • 🚀 Awesome app for ALL drone pilots!

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inaccurate weather data
  • 🐛 Not accurate at all
  • 🐛 Fake weather data shown
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 💰 Not worth the price

Surf

From 940 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌊 Accurate surf forecasts
  • 👍 Easy to use and navigate
  • 🗺️ Comprehensive coverage of locations
  • 🔍 Detailed information (swell, wind, tides, etc.)
  • 💰 Good value for subscription

Room to improve

  • 🔄 Inconsistent data updates
  • 🌊 Wave height/conditions not always accurate
  • 🏞️ Missing data for some locations (e.g. Great Lakes)
  • 🤔 Confusing or misleading surf ratings/forecasts

Bugs and requests

UAV Forecast

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on iPad Pro
  • Location not detected
  • Freezes when entering location

Requested features

5 requests
  • Metric option for altitude
  • More than 5 favorite locations
  • Ability to store drone profiles
  • Alerts for weather changes
  • Map with wind direction overlay

Surf

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes or freezes on some devices
  • Geolocation issues with break markers

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to manually refresh data
  • More detailed tidal/current information
  • Expanded location coverage
  • Improved accuracy for wave height/conditions

In-app purchases

14 purchases

UAV Forecast

Subscriptions13
  • Plus Subscription - Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Hobbyist Subscription - Weekly7 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Professional - Weekly7 Days trial$4.697 Days
Show 10 more
  • Value Subscription - Monthly7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Hobbyist - Monthly7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Elite Subscription - Weekly7 Days trial$8.697 Days
  • Professional - Monthly7 Days trial$9.491 Month
  • Plus Subscription - Annual7 Days trial$12.991 Year
  • Elite Subscription - Monthly7 Days trial$17.491 Month
  • Value Subscription - Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Hobbyist Subscription - Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Professional - Annual7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Elite Subscription - Annual7 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Hobby Subscription - One Year$23.99
2 purchases

Surf

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Service: Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium Service (Yearly)$34.991 Year

Questions

Is UAV Forecast free?
UAV Forecast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Surf free?
Surf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, UAV Forecast or Surf?
Surf is rated higher. UAV Forecast averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while Surf averages 4.9 from 940 ratings.
Do UAV Forecast or Surf have ads?
Surf shows ads; UAV Forecast does not.
Which is updated more often, UAV Forecast or Surf?
UAV Forecast ships an update every 5 days, and Surf every 6 weeks. Most recently, UAV Forecast was updated on October 19, 2026 and Surf on October 18, 2026.
Which is more popular, UAV Forecast or Surf?
UAV Forecast currently peaks at #24 in the App Store charts, and Surf at #80. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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