SunPath vs The Buoy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SunPath
Visualize the sun's path in real-time by pointing your device's camera at the sky. This app overlays the sun's movement directly onto your camera feed, offering a unique perspective on celestial mechanics.
- Real-time sun path visualization
- Augmented reality camera overlay
- Celestial movement tracking
- Intuitive pointing interface
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SunPath allows you to see the path of the sun through your camera at any given moment. Just point your camera to the sky and it will display the sun’s movement.
The Buoy
Get real-time ocean swell updates including size, period, and direction. This app combines buoy data with surf forecasts to help you plan your sessions and save your favorite conditions.
- Real-time swell data
- Swell size, period, and direction
- Surf forecast integration
- Save favorite conditions
- Lock screen widget
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The Buoy is the simplest way to take the pulse of the ocean. Thanks to data provided by services like the NOAA in the US, Cerema (Candhis) in France, Channel Coastal Observatory in the UK/Ireland, Portus in Spain and Hidrografico in Portugal, the buoy allows you to know in real-time the swell conditions around you: size, period, and direction. But The Buoy goes even further. We cross-reference this data with surf forecasts so you can easily plan your sessions. You can also save your favorite conditions to know exactly when a spot is working according to YOUR criteria. Our widget, very easy to use, allows you to have the conditions at your favourite buoy in real-time on your iPhone's locked screen. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Buoy at 96% against SunPath's 33%. The Buoy also leads on price (Free vs $1.99) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). SunPath's advantage is chart position (#53 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
The Buoy is free to download; SunPath costs $1.99 up front. SunPath sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and The Buoy sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
SunPath ships an update every 2 months, The Buoy every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SunPath | The Buoy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 4.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | 96.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #53 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 68 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Romeo Goosens | Thomas Cailhol |
Customer experience
SunPath
The Buoy
In-app purchases
SunPath
- Premium Recording$4.99
The Buoy
- Monthly wax supply$2.991 Month
- Monthly wax supply$3.991 Month
- Monthly wax supply$8.991 Month
- Wax supply$2.99
- Wax supply$3.99
- Wax supply$8.99
