SurfUp vs Surf Breaks
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SurfUp
Easily find and rent surfboards near your location. Reserve your chosen board, unlock it through the app, and manage your entire rental session from your phone for a seamless beach experience.
- Find available surfboards nearby
- Reserve and unlock boards via app
- Manage rental sessions on phone
- Guided board return process
- Convenient beach experience
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SurfUp makes surfboard rentals simple. Find a board near you, reserve your ride, unlock your SurfPod, and get in the water with less friction. Whether you're a beginner looking for an easy way to start or a regular surfer who wants a more convenient rental experience, SurfUp helps you spend less time coordinating and more time surfing. With SurfUp, you can: - Find available boards near you - Reserve and unlock boards through the app - Manage your rental session from your phone - Return your board with a simple guided flow - Get a smoother, more convenient beach experience SurfUp is built to make surfboard access easier, faster, and more flexible for riders and partner locations alike. Download SurfUp and start your next session.
Surf Breaks
Get real-time surf reports, wave scores, tide and weather forecasts, and live webcam feeds for your favorite surf spots. Discover crowdsourced insights from local surfers to enhance your beach experience.
- Live surf reports with wave height, period, and direction
- Proprietary wave scoring algorithm
- Tide and weather forecasts
- Live beach webcam feeds
- Crowdsourced local surf insights
- Favorites list for quick access
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Surf Breaks: Your Ultimate Surf Companion Dive into the ultimate surfing experience with Surf Breaks, the all-in-one app designed for surfers and beach enthusiasts. Powered by real-time data and crowdsourced insights, Surf Breaks gives you everything you need to make the most of your time at the beach. Key Features: • Live Surf Reports: Get wave height, period, and direction from NOAA buoys and other trusted data sources, updated in real-time to keep you ahead of the swell. • Wave Score: Our proprietary algorithm combines live data with historical patterns, beach angles, and weather conditions to generate an easy-to-read score for every break. • Tide & Weather Updates: Stay informed with up-to-date tide charts, wind conditions, and weather forecasts specific to each surf spot. • Beach Webcams: View live streams of your favorite breaks, ensuring you never miss perfect conditions. • Crowdsourced Beach Insights: Explore tips and details submitted by local surfers, including parking, access points, and surf etiquette for popular spots. • Favorites List: Save your top breaks for quick access to their latest conditions. Why Surf Breaks? Surf smarter, not harder. Surf Breaks aggregates data from NOAA buoys, local weather stations, and webcams, while leveraging community-driven insights to give you the clearest picture of what’s happening at your favorite spots. Whether you’re planning your next session or exploring a new break, Surf Breaks is your go-to resource for the best surf experience.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Surf Breaks at daily against SurfUp's every 5 weeks. Surf Breaks also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). SurfUp's advantage is ratings volume (28 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, ads, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Surf Breaks holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SurfUp has 28 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of SurfUp's written reviews are positive against 100% of Surf Breaks's.
SurfUp ships an update every 5 weeks, Surf Breaks daily. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SurfUp | Surf Breaks |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (28 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 28 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 88 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | SurfUp, Inc. | Kevin Brice |
Customer experience
SurfUp
Surf Breaks
In-app purchases
SurfUp
No in-app purchases
Surf Breaks
No in-app purchases









