# Sunbeam vs Buoyk

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Buoyk at none against Sunbeam's 2. Buoyk also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 70%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Sunbeam's advantage is ratings volume (1.7K vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sunbeam sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Buoyk asks for nothing beyond the download.

Buoyk holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sunbeam has 1.7K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Sunbeam's written reviews are positive against 100% of Buoyk's.

Sunbeam ships an update every 4 weeks, Buoyk fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sunbeam | Buoyk |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunbeam-uv-index-tracker/id1448601833/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buoyk/id6771429117/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 69.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 113 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Electric Acorn Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1890746620) | [Oleksii Naboichenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1894553262) |

## What reviewers say

### Sunbeam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunbeam-uv-index-tracker/id1448601833)

This app provides real-time UV Index forecasts and personalized sun exposure tracking. It helps users avoid sunburn, monitor time spent in daylight, and estimate Vitamin D levels. Features include widgets, Apple Watch integration, and Apple Health syncing.

**Highlights:** Worldwide UV Index forecasts, Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets, Apple Watch app with complications, Apple Health integration, Personalized sunburn risk tracking, Live Activities for Lock Screen, Extended 10-day UV forecasts

**Features:** Apple Watch app, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sunbeam Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Sunbeam Pro Annual | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate UV tracking
- 👍 Helpful for planning sun exposure
- 🌞 Useful for tanning and vitamin D generation
- 🔒 Respects user privacy
- 📊 Provides detailed hourly and daily UV forecasts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Many features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and connectivity issues
- 📍 Difficulty setting custom location
- 🔋 High battery consumption for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not working for some users
- UV data not updating correctly in certain locations
- Vitamin D tab not functioning as expected

**Requested features**

- Integration with Apple Health for better vitamin D tracking
- Customizable sun exposure timers and alarms
- Historical data and exposure tracking
- More detailed skin type and sunscreen recommendations


### Buoyk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buoyk/id6771429117)

Access real-time marine conditions from public NOAA/NDBC buoys in a user-friendly app. View wave, wind, temperature, and tide data with detailed station pages and historical charts. Ideal for anyone planning activities near the water.

**Highlights:** Live buoy map of NOAA/NDBC stations, Wave, wind, temperature, and tide readings, Detailed station information, Historical measurement charts, Favorite stations with custom names, BuoyCAM image access, Metric and imperial units

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sunbeam free?

Sunbeam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Buoyk free?

Buoyk is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Sunbeam or Buoyk?

Buoyk is rated higher. Sunbeam averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Buoyk averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Sunbeam or Buoyk have ads?

Neither Sunbeam nor Buoyk shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sunbeam or Buoyk?

Sunbeam ships an update every 4 weeks, and Buoyk fortnightly. Most recently, Sunbeam was updated on November 6, 2026 and Buoyk 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.*