# Surf Captain vs Hanalei River

The clearest difference is price: Surf Captain at Free against Hanalei River's $0.99. Surf Captain also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 22). Hanalei River's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Surf Captain is free to download; Hanalei River costs $0.99 up front. Surf Captain sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Hanalei River asks for nothing beyond the download.

Surf Captain holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf Captain has 1.3K ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Surf Captain's written reviews are positive against 67% of Hanalei River's.

Surf Captain ships an update weekly, Hanalei River every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surf Captain | Hanalei River |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-captain-surf-forecasts/id1566602258/reviews)** | [4.5 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanalei-river/id1599017267/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | **80.5% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #140 | **#122** |
| Size | 63 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Weather Captain](https://appshunter.io/developer/1566602260) | [ONOSOL LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1252773943) |

## What reviewers say

### Surf Captain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-captain-surf-forecasts/id1566602258)

**Currently charting:** #140 Top Grossing · Weather (US App Store)

Get detailed 16-day surf forecasts with swell, wind, and tide information. Plan your surf sessions with personalized alerts and a wave model tuned for local breaks. Integrates with AI assistants for easy condition checks.

**Highlights:** 16-day surf forecast, Surf height, swell, wind, tide timeline, Swell breakdown, Favorite surf spots, Custom surf alerts, Hundreds of global locations, AI assistant integration

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Surf Captain Pro | $9.99 | per year |
| Surf Captain Pro Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Surf Captain Pro Plus Annual | $39.99 | per year |


### Hanalei River

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanalei-river/id1599017267)

**Currently charting:** #122 Top Paid · Weather (US App Store)

Monitor river gauge heights and road conditions on Kaua'i during heavy rains. Access real-time data from USGS river gauges and view traffic camera feeds to check road accessibility. Future updates will include push notifications for rising river levels.

**Highlights:** USGS river gauge height monitoring, Hanalei Initiative road camera access, All Kaua'i river gauge data, Push notifications for rising rivers (upcoming)

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Surf Captain free?

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

### Is Hanalei River free?

Hanalei River costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Surf Captain or Hanalei River?

Surf Captain is rated higher. Surf Captain averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Hanalei River averages 4.5 from 22 ratings.

### Do Surf Captain or Hanalei River have ads?

Surf Captain shows ads; Hanalei River does not.

### Which is updated more often, Surf Captain or Hanalei River?

Surf Captain ships an update weekly, and Hanalei River every 2 weeks. Most recently, Surf Captain was updated on November 11, 2026 and Hanalei River on November 7, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Surf Captain or Hanalei River?

Surf Captain currently peaks at #140 in the App Store charts, and Hanalei River at #122. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*