Comparison

Buoy Map vs PNW Current Atlas

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Buoy Map

Visualize real-time ocean and lake buoy data, including wave height, wind conditions, and water temperature. Access historical graphs and detailed sensor readings to stay informed about marine environments.

Highlights
  • 48hr wave height graphs
  • Wind speed and direction
  • Air pressure and trend
  • Air and water temperature
  • Wave period and direction
  • OpenStreetMap integration
Features
Read full description

Buoy Map puts live NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) observations on a worldwide map of ocean and lake stations. Tap a buoy to see what that station is actually reporting right now. Conditions typically update about every 30 minutes, depending on the station. WHAT YOU GET • Interactive map of NOAA / NDBC buoys around the world • Opens near your location on first launch • Remembers your last map view, including pan and zoom • Keeps the last loaded map if you lose signal, so you can still check what you already loaded when offline • 72-hour wave height graph when the station reports wave data • Light and dark map themes BUOY DATA Each station has a different set of instruments, so not every buoy reports every field. When the data is there, Buoy Map can show: • Wind direction, speed, and gusts • Wave height, dominant period, average period, and wave direction • Air pressure and pressure trend • Air temperature and water temperature • 72-hour wave height graph WHO IT’S FOR Surfers, sailors, fishers, paddlers, and anyone who wants a quick look at real water conditions before heading out or while already on the water. No account. No feed of extra forecasts mixed in. Just the buoy map and the observations. CREDITS Map tiles: OpenStreetMap. Map engine: Leaflet. Suggestions are welcome. I plan to keep improving Buoy Map, enjoy!

About

PNW Current Atlas

Access detailed current prediction charts for the Pacific Northwest, covering regions like the Juan de Fuca Strait and San Juan Islands. View any date or time within the current year with free yearly updates, and use the app offline.

Highlights
  • View past/future date/time predictions
  • Daylight savings time correction
  • Jump to 'Now' prediction
  • Swipe/tap to move through time
  • Zoomable prediction details
  • Offline functionality
  • Free yearly updates
Features
Read full description

The PNW Current Atlas brings a fast and easy way to view Pacific Northwest current prediction charts for the Juan de Fuca Strait / Strait of Georgia regions on your mobile device. This includes complete coverage of the US San Juan Islands, the Canadian Gulf Islands, and the Eastern Juan de Fuca Strait and more. This digital current atlas includes predictions for the current year with free yearly updates so that you never have to buy a reference or look-up table ever again. Features: ◆ View any date/time within a tide cycle, past or future (within the current year) ◆ Fully corrected for Daylight savings time ◆ Easily jump to the prediction closest to Now with a single tap ◆ Easily move forwards or backwards through prediction time by tapping or swiping ◆ Zoom into predictions to see more detail ◆ Works offline - no Internet connection needed! ◆ Includes all predictions for the current calendar year with free yearly updates ◆ and more...

Screenshots

Buoy Map4 screens
PNW Current Atlas4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PNW Current Atlas at Free against Buoy Map's $1.99. PNW Current Atlas also leads on ratings volume (33 vs 1) and review sentiment (44% vs 33%). Buoy Map's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

PNW Current Atlas is free to download; Buoy Map costs $1.99 up front. PNW Current Atlas sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Buoy Map asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Buoy Map holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PNW Current Atlas has 33 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of Buoy Map's written reviews are positive against 44% of PNW Current Atlas's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Buoy Map ships an update every 5 months, PNW Current Atlas every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Buoy Map versus PNW Current Atlas: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBuoy MapPNW Current Atlas
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better3.5 (33 ratings)
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews43.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings133 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 11 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB56 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoel LisenbyTinyOctopus, LLC

Customer experience

Buoy Map

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

PNW Current Atlas

All ratings33 ratings
Positive54.5%
Neutral18.2%
Negative27.3%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive43.8%
Neutral31.3%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

Buoy Map

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

PNW Current Atlas

One-time2
  • 3-Day Free TrialFree
  • Current Atlas unlimited access$19.99

Questions

Is Buoy Map free?
Buoy Map costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is PNW Current Atlas free?
PNW Current Atlas is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Buoy Map or PNW Current Atlas?
Buoy Map is rated higher. Buoy Map averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while PNW Current Atlas averages 3.5 from 33 ratings.
Do Buoy Map or PNW Current Atlas have ads?
Neither Buoy Map nor PNW Current Atlas shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Buoy Map or PNW Current Atlas?
Buoy Map ships an update every 5 months, and PNW Current Atlas every 11 months. Most recently, Buoy Map was updated on October 9, 2026 and PNW Current Atlas on October 31, 2026.

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