# True Surf vs Shark Waves

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shark Waves at none against True Surf's 7. True Surf's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 24 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. True Surf sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Shark Waves asks for nothing beyond the download.

True Surf ships an update fortnightly, Shark Waves every 24 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | True Surf | Shark Waves |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.8 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/true-surf/id1177819604/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 60.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 24 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#75** | — |
| Size | 211 MB | 135 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [True Axis](https://appshunter.io/developer/337866373) | [Henrique Silva](https://appshunter.io/developer/492945915) |

## What reviewers say

### True Surf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/true-surf/id1177819604)

**Currently charting:** #75 Top Grossing · Sports, #189 Top Free · Sports (US App Store)

Experience the most authentic surfing simulation with realistic physics and live weather forecasts from Surfline. Master real-time controls, travel to world-famous breaks, and compete in WSL events. Evolve your surfer, build your gear, and chase the perfect wave.

**Highlights:** Realistic physics simulation, Live Surfline weather forecasts, World-famous surf breaks, Real-time touch controls, Character progression and customization, Board quiver management, Live WSL competitions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Perfect Storm (monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Frequent Flyer (monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Handful of Clams | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Clams | $7.99 | one-time |
| Chest of Clams | $28.99 | one-time |
| Boatload of Clams | $49.99 | one-time |
| Sea of Clams | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌊 Realistic wave physics and graphics
- 🤙 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🔥 Best surfing game on mobile
- 👍 Intuitive controls once learned
- 🌍 Variety of real-world surf spots

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases for boards and upgrades
- 🐢 Extremely slow progression and leveling up
- 🤯 Inconsistent and unreliable scoring system
- 🌊 Lack of consistently good waves at many locations
- 🔋 Battery draining issues

**Reported bugs**

- Waves not generating properly at Surf Ranch
- Progression resets and lost progress
- Inability to travel to desired surf spots

**Requested features**

- First-person camera mode
- Customizable boards and characters
- Competitive multiplayer mode
- Career mode with challenges and sponsorships
- Ability to create and share custom surf spots


### Shark Waves

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shark-waves/id1577396514)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is True Surf free?

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

### Is Shark Waves free?

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

### Do True Surf or Shark Waves have ads?

Shark Waves shows ads; True Surf does not.

### Which is updated more often, True Surf or Shark Waves?

True Surf ships an update fortnightly, and Shark Waves every 24 months. Most recently, True Surf was updated on October 22, 2026 and Shark Waves on October 13, 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.*