# Surf Athlete vs Holistica Academy

The clearest difference is monetization model: Surf Athlete at free with in-app purchases against Holistica Academy's subscription. On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Surf Athlete sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $18.99 per month and Holistica Academy sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Surf Athlete ships an update every 3 weeks, Holistica Academy every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surf Athlete | Holistica Academy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (403 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-athlete-surf-training/id1473672898/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **403** | — |
| Positive reviews | **90.8% of reviews** | 83.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 236 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nautilus Surf Performance LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473672897) | [Dojo Online Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1597289435) |

## What reviewers say

### Surf Athlete

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-athlete-surf-training/id1473672898)

This app provides surf-specific training programs designed to enhance strength, endurance, and mobility. It offers workouts, stretching routines, and breath training to improve performance in the ocean and prevent injuries. Users can join a community and track progress.

**Highlights:** Surf-specific workouts, Strength, endurance, and mobility training, Stretch routines, Breath training, Technique tutorials, Global surfer community

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ocean Sports Academy (1 month) | $18.99 | per month |
| SURF ATHLETE PRO (1 month) | $29.99 | per month |
| Surf Athlete Academy (3 month) | $83.99 | per 3 months |
| Stretches for Surfers | $27.99 | one-time |
| The Perfect Pop Up | $79.99 | one-time |
| Bodyweight | $119.99 | one-time |
| Surf Athlete | $129.99 | one-time |
| Cardboard Surfer | $129.99 | one-time |
| Surf Skate | $139.99 | one-time |
| Surf Training Foundations | $159.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Solid app
- 👍 Detailed instructions and programs
- 👍 Comprehensive surf-specific fitness
- 👍 Improves flexibility, strength, and mobility
- 👍 Helps with pop-up and technique

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Registration/login issues
- 🐛 Occasional app crashes
- 🔇 Lack of audio cues during workouts
- 🔇 Music playback issues
- 💰 Expensive for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Registration not working
- App crashing on launch
- Music playback interruptions

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Offline workout mode
- Better music integration
- More free content
- Expanded exercise library


### Holistica Academy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holistica-academy/id1597289433)

Improve your mobility, performance, and recovery with a library of routines designed by experts. Access over 250 videos to enhance flexibility, strength, and balance, reducing injury risk and accelerating recovery.

**Highlights:** Improve mobility, performance, and recovery, Gain flexibility, strength, and balance, Reduce joint stiffness and improve range of motion, Boost athletic performance, Accelerate recovery, Reduce risk of injuries, 250+ video library updated weekly

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| App Holistica Academy Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Holistica Academy Member | $20.99 | per month |
| App Holistica Academy 6 month | $49.99 | per 6 months |
| App Holistica Academy Yearly | $145.99 | per year |
| Holistica Academy Yearly | $209.99 | per year |
| Holistica Academy Yearly | $209.99 | per year |
| One Time Subscription | $37.99 | one-time |
| One Time Subscription | $74.99 | one-time |
| One Time Subscription | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Surf Athlete free?

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

### Is Holistica Academy free?

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

### Do Surf Athlete or Holistica Academy have ads?

Neither Surf Athlete nor Holistica Academy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Surf Athlete or Holistica Academy?

Surf Athlete ships an update every 3 weeks, and Holistica Academy every 5 weeks. Most recently, Surf Athlete was updated on November 3, 2026 and Holistica Academy on November 3, 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.*