# Buoy Map vs PNW Current Atlas

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buoy Map | PNW Current Atlas |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buoy-map/id1437659960/reviews)** | [3.5 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pnw-current-atlas/id1456020312/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **33** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **43.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 0 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joel Lisenby](https://appshunter.io/developer/1437659959) | [TinyOctopus, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/507385773) |

## What reviewers say

### Buoy Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buoy-map/id1437659960)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### PNW Current Atlas

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pnw-current-atlas/id1456020312)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3-Day Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Current Atlas unlimited access | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*