NOAA Forecast vs Marine Weather
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NOAA Forecast
Visualize detailed weather forecasts from NOAA's Global Forecast System. Explore a scrollable and zoomable grid of forecast maps, with options for different forecast types and global regions.
- NOAA GFS weather map display
- Scrollable and zoomable grid interface
- Multiple forecast types (21 options)
- Forecasts displayed in 12-hour intervals
- Global region selection
- Raw GFS model data visualization
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The NOAA Forecast app collects and displays weather maps produced by NOAA's Global Forecast System (GFS). The maps are displayed in a scrollable and zoomable grid. The vertical axis of the grid is forecast time. Four different forecasts are displayed at 12 hour time intervals. The horizontal axis of the grid is different types of forecasts - five different types of maps can be selected from among 21 possible map types. The maps are available for thirteen different regions of the globe. These maps are the raw maps produced by the GFS computer model. The maps and the data contained in the maps are processed and interpreted by other weather services to produce the maps seen in the newspaper and on TV.
Marine Weather
Get detailed marine weather forecasts including wind speed, wave heights, and tide information. Visualize data on maps with customizable overlays and multiple weather models. Plan your trips with route management features and access forecasts in various units.
- 3-day wind speed and direction forecasts
- Wave height and direction overlays
- Multiple weather models (GFS, ECMWF)
- Tide and current data for multiple countries
- Lake temperature maps with thermocline identification
- Customizable weather settings and map overlays
- Route management and GPX/KML import
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Marine Weather App - Wind, Waves, Lake Temperature & Tide overlays for windsurfing, kitesurfing and fishing. ►Wind Forecasts √ Wind speed and true direction forecast for 3 days at 3 hour intervals. √ Use the play back bar on top to play/pause the wind animation or go to a specific time. √ Select a specific time for wind prediction from a list √ Tap anywhere on the map to view exact wind prediction speed and direction √ Use barb notation to estimate wind speed at a point. √ Once the predictions are doenloaded they are stored offline for use. ► Wave Heights (Swell + Wind combined) and Direction √ Overlaid on a map √ Playback bar or go to a specific time. √ Highlight high wave heights in red. ► Multiple Weather Models √ GFS √ ECMWF ► Pressure (MSL) ► Precipitation ► Air Temperature ► Gust ►TIDE & CURRENTS √ For US,Canada,Germany, Norway, Netherlands, Australia & New Zealand ► Comfortable Weather Settings √ Automatically Highlight Harsh Weather Forecasts √ Weather settings are customizable based on your preferences. ► Weather Map Overlays √ All forecast variables can be overalaid on the map. ► Lake Temperature Maps √ Accurate to 1 degree fahrenheit (0.5 degree celsius). √ Maps are color coded making it easy to identify lines where the temperature variation starts √ Easy to identify warm thermoclines (to find the best fishing spots) √ Actual temperature text can be toggled on demand √ The application supports showing temperatures in Fahrenheit, Celsius and Kelvin ► Forecast in multiple units √ Wind speed in knots, mph and kph √ Wave height in feet, meter or fathom √ Temperatures in celsius, farenheit and kelvin √ Pressure in Pa, millibar, mmHG, inchHG √ Precipitation in inches, mm ►ROUTE MANAGEMENT / TRIP PLANNING √ Create New Route/Edit Existing Routes √ Move Points √ Add points to an existing route leg √ Delete / Rename points √ Import GPX,KML & KMZ files √ Plot/Edit Routes √ Enter Waypoints √ Share/Export Routes,Tracks&Markers
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Marine Weather at 4.4 against NOAA Forecast's 3.7. Marine Weather also leads on update cadence (every 7 months vs every 30 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.2). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Marine Weather holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 8 respectively.
NOAA Forecast ships an update every 30 months, Marine Weather every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NOAA Forecast | Marine Weather |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (3 ratings) | 4.4 (8 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 8 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 30 months | Every 7 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.2 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 48 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Geoffrey Domm | Bist LLC |
Customer experience
NOAA Forecast
Marine Weather
In-app purchases
NOAA Forecast
No in-app purchases
Marine Weather
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is NOAA Forecast free?
Is Marine Weather free?
Which has better reviews, NOAA Forecast or Marine Weather?
Do NOAA Forecast or Marine Weather have ads?
Which is updated more often, NOAA Forecast or Marine Weather?
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