Comparison

Sally's Surf School vs Surf Reader

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sally's Surf School

Features
Read full description

Learn to surf at your own pace with world-class guidance from Olympian Sally Fitzgibbons! Whether you’re catching your first wave or improving your skills, this app is packed with tools, tips, and inspiration to help you along your surfing journey. “We all have to start somewhere. I hope you learn to enjoy surfing as much as I do!” – Sally Fitzgibbons Why You’ll Love Sally’s Surf School: Surf Safety Tips – Stay safe and confident in the water with expert advice. Surf Diary – Log your sessions, progress, and milestones for future reference. Beach Map – Know your environment before you paddle out. Video Inspiration Clips – Learn from Sally and keep the stoke high! Surf Tips Blog – Get insider knowledge to improve your technique. Just for Fun – Play a surf game to keep the vibes rolling. Sally Selfie – Snap and share with Sally for your socials. 30-Minute Workout – Train like a pro with Sally’s personal fitness routine. Start your surfing adventure today and experience the joy of the ocean with Sally as your coach!

About

Surf Reader

Features
Read full description

Surf Reader is a pocket-sized coaching companion built around Martin Dunn's 40-year surf-coaching method. Read the break, set your intention before you paddle out, then rate the surf you actually had — and watch your wave-selection skill grow session by session. MAP THE BREAK Sand banks shift, rips appear, peaks drift. Turn what you see in the lineup into a saved beach map you can pull up before every paddle-out. Eight break types, drawn your way. PLAN WITH INTENTION "Just have fun" is a great mantra and a poor session plan. A guided 7-question flow gives you one specific thing to work on each surf. REVIEW HONESTLY Rate your session the moment you're back on the sand. Surf Reader closes the loop between what you planned and what you actually did. WATCH YOUR SKILL RISE Every session feeds a simple picture of your progress, so better wave selection becomes a habit — not a guess. BUILT FOR SURFERS • 5 languages — English, Español, Português, 日本語, Français • 8 break types to map • Local-first: your sessions, plans and maps stay on your device — no account required Built on Martin Dunn's coaching from eSurfR.com, MartinDunn.com.au, and Martin Dunn Surf Camps.

Screenshots

Sally's Surf School4 screens
Surf Reader3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Surf Reader at Free against Sally's Surf School's $1.99. Surf Reader also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Sally's Surf School's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On ads 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

Surf Reader is free to download; Sally's Surf School costs $1.99 up front. Sally's Surf School sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Surf Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sally's Surf School ships an update every 2 months, Surf Reader every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 1 level
Sally's Surf School versus Surf Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSally's Surf SchoolSurf Reader
Price$1.99Free — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size373 MB85 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMartin FitzgibbonsAshley Martin Dunn

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Sally's Surf School

One-time1
  • Sally's Surf LessonsFree
None

Surf Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sally's Surf School free?
Sally's Surf School costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Surf Reader free?
Surf Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Sally's Surf School or Surf Reader have ads?
Neither Sally's Surf School nor Surf Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sally's Surf School or Surf Reader?
Sally's Surf School ships an update every 2 months, and Surf Reader every 2 weeks. Most recently, Sally's Surf School was updated on October 11, 2026 and Surf Reader on September 30, 2026.

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