# Noel vs Surf Santa

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Surf Santa at none against Noel's 2. Surf Santa also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Noel sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Surf Santa asks for nothing beyond the download.

Noel ships an update every 3 weeks, Surf Santa every 6 days. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Noel | Surf Santa |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (84 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noel-christmas-countdown/id1161557247/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **84** | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 132 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Paul Roden II](https://appshunter.io/developer/693041126) | [Living Popups Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1439637646) |

## What reviewers say

### Noel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noel-christmas-countdown/id1161557247)

This app helps you embrace the holiday spirit with a countdown to Christmas, festive recipes, gift ideas, and activity planning. Enjoy carols with built-in music sheets and track your holiday preparations.

**Highlights:** Christmas countdown clock, Advent widget, AI gift ideas, Recipe list, Activity list, Christmas music sheets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Noel Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Noel Premium | $29.99 | per year |


### Surf Santa

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-santa/id1443953752)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Noel free?

Noel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Surf Santa free?

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

### Do Noel or Surf Santa have ads?

Neither Noel nor Surf Santa shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Noel or Surf Santa?

Noel ships an update every 3 weeks, and Surf Santa every 6 days. Most recently, Noel was updated on November 2, 2026 and Surf Santa on November 2, 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.*