Comparison

Buoy Map vs ClimateCruise

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

ClimateCruise

Plan your journeys with detailed weather forecasts along your entire route, up to 10 days ahead. Visualize temperature, precipitation, and wind conditions with color-coded maps. Save your favorite locations and routes for easy access.

Highlights
  • Route weather forecasts up to 10 days
  • Color-coded route visualization
  • Temperature, precipitation, and wind data
  • Departure time adjustment
  • Waypoint weather details
  • Save favorite places and routes
Features
Read full description

ClimateCruise gets the forecast for every point in-between you and your destination. Know what to expect on your next trip up to 10 days in advance. Color coded routes to represent the temperature, chance of precipitation, or wind speed. See the weather conditions whether you're driving or walking. Tap the clock to change your departure time at any location. Tap in the middle of a route to see that waypoint's weather conditions. Save favorite places and routes. Made with Apple Maps & Apple Weather.

Screenshots

Buoy Map4 screens
ClimateCruise4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ClimateCruise at Free against Buoy Map's $1.99. ClimateCruise also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (50% vs 33%). Buoy Map's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On in-app purchases 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

ClimateCruise is free to download; Buoy Map costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Buoy Map holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of Buoy Map's written reviews are positive against 50% of ClimateCruise'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, ClimateCruise every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Buoy Map versus ClimateCruise: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBuoy MapClimateCruise
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoel LisenbyAdam Durkes

Customer experience

Buoy Map

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

ClimateCruise

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Buoy Map

No in-app purchases

None

ClimateCruise

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Buoy Map free?
Buoy Map costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ClimateCruise free?
ClimateCruise is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Buoy Map or ClimateCruise?
Buoy Map is rated higher. Buoy Map averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while ClimateCruise averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.
Do Buoy Map or ClimateCruise have ads?
ClimateCruise shows ads; Buoy Map does not.
Which is updated more often, Buoy Map or ClimateCruise?
Buoy Map ships an update every 5 months, and ClimateCruise every 3 days. Most recently, Buoy Map was updated on October 9, 2026 and ClimateCruise on October 21, 2026.

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