# Surf Athlete vs SurfCore

The clearest difference is ads: Surf Athlete at none against SurfCore's shown. Surf Athlete also leads on ratings volume (407 vs 2) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). SurfCore's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 91%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Surf Athlete sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $18.99 per month and SurfCore sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Surf Athlete against 5.0 for SurfCore. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf Athlete has 407 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Surf Athlete's written reviews are positive against 100% of SurfCore's.

Surf Athlete ships an update every 3 weeks, SurfCore every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surf Athlete | SurfCore |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (407 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-athlete-surf-training/id1473672898/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfcore-home-surf-workouts/id6746400987/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **407** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 90.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 236 MB | 107 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Nautilus Surf Performance LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473672897) | [Kateryna Dolmatova](https://appshunter.io/developer/1474525636) |

## 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


### SurfCore

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfcore-home-surf-workouts/id6746400987)

This app provides structured, surf-specific home workouts designed to improve strength, balance, mobility, and endurance for surfers of all levels. It offers training programs and sessions focused on real surf movements, acting as virtual surf coaching.

**Highlights:** Structured surf-specific workouts, 28-day training programs, Home workouts with minimal equipment, Sessions for paddle endurance and pop-up power, Beginner to advanced levels, Balance and mobility training

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SurfCore Premium Weekly with Trial | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| SurfCore Premium Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| SurfCore Premium Monthly with Trial | $15.99 | per month |
| SurfCore Premium Monthly | $15.99 | per month |
| SurfCore Premium Monthly with Trial | $15.99 | per month |
| SurfCore Premium Yearly | $35.99 | per year |
| SurfCore Premium Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| SurfCore Premium Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| SurfCore Premium Yearly | $99.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Surf Athlete free?

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

### Is SurfCore free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Surf Athlete or SurfCore?

SurfCore is rated higher. Surf Athlete averages 4.9 out of 5 from 407 ratings, while SurfCore averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Surf Athlete or SurfCore have ads?

SurfCore shows ads; Surf Athlete does not.

### Which is updated more often, Surf Athlete or SurfCore?

Surf Athlete ships an update every 3 weeks, and SurfCore every 5 weeks. Most recently, Surf Athlete was updated on November 11, 2026 and SurfCore on November 8, 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.*