SkyCandy vs Surf Alerts
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SkyCandy
Predicts the visual quality of sunrises and sunsets using local weather data. Offers tools for photographers to plan shoots, including sun direction and daylight phase timings. Provides tips, a community gallery, and countdown timers.
- Sunrise/Sunset Forecast
- Sun Direction Tool
- Daylight Phases & Times
- Multiple Location Forecasts (Premium)
- Today Widget
- Alerts & Notifications (Premium)
- Photography Tips & Tricks
Read full descriptionHide full description
Your sunset adventure starts here. Use SkyCandy to know if the sky will be vivid and colorful at sunrise or sunset, and skip the boring, gray sky. SkyCandy is great for photographers, or anyone at all that enjoys a beautiful sunset! There are no annoying ads and it's completely free, but you can unlock some extra tools and features for a very low-cost subscription fee to help support us and keep the app running. A full list of features can be found below: ► Sunrise + Sunset Forecast Using your local weather data, we can determine if the next sunrise or sunset at your location will be vivid and colorful, or drab and dreary. With the premium subscription, you can also see forecasts for up to 5 days, for any location. ► Sun Direction Tool Drop a pin anywhere on the map to know exactly which direction the Sun will be at any time, any date, and any location. Great for photographers that are scouting a photo shoot location and want to know what direction the Sun will be in when they are taking photos. ► Daylight Phases and Times Get the exact times for Sunrise, Sunset, Golden Hour, Blue Hour, and more! ► Multiple Locations* With the premium subscription, you can save near infinite amounts of custom locations for the forecast, and get a five day forecast! (free users are limited to 1 location and daily forecast) ► Today Widget* Enable a today widget that shows your quality score, time of sunset, and live countdown timer until sunset. ► Alerts & Notifications* Configure automatic alerts and notifications for when the sunrise and sunset is going to be high quality at your location. ► More than 50 tips, tricks, and facts SkyCandy comes with more than 50 tips, tricks, and facts that will help you take your Sunset photography to the next level. ► Community Gallery See real sunset photos posted by other users of SkyCandy. ► Sun Countdown Timers Know exactly how much time is left until your next sunrise or sunset occurs, great for photographers who want to know when they will run out of light. ► Ad-Free Experience We don't believe in putting annoying advertisements in SkyCandy. Instead, we rely on the optional subscription from our users to help support it and keep it running. ► In-app Support Having issues using the app, or can't seem to find something? Just check out the in-app FAQ and knowledge base, or contact us in-app for tech support. ► And Many More Tools! Many more useful weather, Sunrise, and Sunset tools are also included. Some of the tools and features listed above require a premium subscription. Premium subscription is $2.99 monthly or $29.99 annually ($5+ savings for annual) and can be purchased in-app. Each subscription helps us to continue development and make the app better. The premium subscription includes a free 7 day trial, and is billed on a monthly or annual basis unless you cancel the subscription. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of your current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. If you do not wish to continue your subscription after the free 7 day trial period, it is your responsibility to cancel your subscription before the billing cycle begins. Subscriptions may be managed by you in your iTunes account and auto-renewal may be turned off by going into your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ https://www.photographersarsenal.com/mobile-app-terms-of-use/ Got an idea to make the app even better, or is the app missing a tool that you would like to see implemented? Just contact us using the in-app support and we can add it! APIs used: Sunburst by SunsetWx * Indicates that premium subscription is required for this feature.
Surf Alerts
Read full descriptionHide full description
Never miss that window of opportunity. Create alerts for your favourite surf spots. Get notified when the wind drops or turns favourable. Incoming mid tide? You'll know about it! Receive frequent observations for your local spot showing wind (speed, direction and trend), swell height, period and direction as well as tidal information. Get sent daily wind forecasts to help you plan for your next session. -- Available for locations in Australia and USA only (for now)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Surf Alerts at none against SkyCandy's 2. Surf Alerts also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. SkyCandy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Surf Alerts asks for nothing beyond the download.
SkyCandy ships an update monthly, Surf Alerts every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SkyCandy | Surf Alerts |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (5 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 15.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 54 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dunbar Technology, LLC | Adam Goldin |
Bugs and requests
SkyCandy
Reported bugs
3 issues- App stuck on loading screen
- Incompatible with latest iOS updates
- Inconsistent performance across devices
Requested features
2 requests- Ability to view forecasts for multiple locations
- Improved prediction accuracy
Surf Alerts
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SkyCandy
- Monthly Premium Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Yearly Premium Subscription7 Days trial$23.991 Year
Surf Alerts
No in-app purchases









