Comparison

Surf Captain vs Swellify

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

Head to head
About

Surf Captain

Get detailed 16-day surf forecasts for numerous locations across North America and the Caribbean. This app provides highly accurate predictions in a user-friendly interface, making it easy to plan your next surf session.

Highlights
  • 16-day surf forecasts
  • United States forecasts
  • Canada forecasts
  • Central America forecasts
  • Caribbean forecasts
  • Accurate predictions
  • Simple interface
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Surf Forecasts Made Awesome! Surf Captain gives you 16-day surf forecasts in an app that's fast and simple to read. WHAT YOU GET • 16-day surf forecast, so you can plan your surf week • Surf height, swell, wind and tide together in one timeline • Swell breakdown showing the individual swells behind the surf, with height, period and direction • Favorites for the spots you check every day • Surf alerts that notify you when a spot is forecast to hit the conditions you set • Hundreds of locations across the United States, Canada, Central America and the Caribbean, with more regions on the way FORECASTS BUILT FOR THE BREAK Surf Captain doesn't just show open-ocean numbers. Our own wave model is tuned for each location, so the surf forecast reflects what reaches the beach: swell direction, wind, tide and nearby buoy data. FREE AND PRO The free app gives you the 5 day forecast for any spot. Surf Captain Pro unlocks the full 16 days, surf alerts and more for only $1.67 per month. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period, and you can manage them in your account settings. Also works with your AI assistant: connect Surf Captain to Claude to ask about surf conditions in plain language. Questions or feedback? Use Contact inside the app. We read everything. Terms: https://surfcaptain.com/terms Privacy: https://surfcaptain.com/privacy Terms Of Use: https://surfcaptain.com/terms Privacy policy: https://surfcaptain.com/privacy

About

Swellify

Get personalized surf recommendations and real-time forecasts tailored to your skill level. Receive timely notifications for your favorite spots and plan your surf sessions with confidence.

Highlights
  • Personalized surf recommendations
  • Customizable skill level settings
  • Daily surf updates
  • Email and push notifications
  • Save favorite surf spots
  • Hourly custom ratings
Features
Read full description

Swellify is where you find surf that's perfect for you. With personalized surf recommendations, you'll always know when and where to hit the waves. Swellify demystifies surf forecasts once and for all. It's simple and intuitive, anyone can get started instantly with just a three step setup. Get the best surf in 2026 with: Personalized Surf Recommendations - Whether you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced surfer, finding the best surf for you is a snap. Set your skill level and let Swellify do the rest. Notifications That Matter - Receive daily updates about the best surf for you at all your favorite spots. We know you're busy, so Swellify sends you email and push notifications ensuring you're always in the know, even if you forget to check. Goodbye, FOMO! Save Your Faves - Keeping an eye on your favorite surf spots has never been easier. Swellify keeps the surf at your fingertips, whether it's your local home breaks or your favorite road trip destinations. Your Surf, Your Schedule - Completely custom ratings for every hour of every day at every spot. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, Swellify empowers you to surf with confidence knowing the conditions match with your skill level. What surfers are saying: "I am loving the App, push notifications is a game changer. It's so much easier to quickly check and see is it good surf can I be bothered or not." - Suresh “Every time I get an email, I head down to Lyall Bay and there’s surf!” - Vicky “I’m liking the emails. Nice and short summaries and gets me amped for a surf.” - Matthew “Loving the email alerts! Set them for Riversdale, Lyall and Tbay and are working well :)” - Antony Swellify revolutionizes the way you stay connected to the waves. Download now to experience Swellify, your ultimate surf companion. By using Swellify you acknowledge that you have read, understand and accept Swellify's Terms of Service (https://www.swellify.app/legal/terms), Privacy Policy (https://www.swellify.app/legal/privacy) the App Store Terms of Service (https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/).

Screenshots

Surf Captain4 screens
Swellify4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Swellify at none against Surf Captain's shown. Swellify also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 79%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Surf Captain's advantage is ratings volume (1.1K vs 4) and chart position (#135 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Surf Captain sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and Swellify sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Swellify holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf Captain has 1.1K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Surf Captain's written reviews are positive against 100% of Swellify's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surf Captain ships an update weekly, Swellify every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Surf Captain versus Swellify: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurf CaptainSwellify
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.1K ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K — better4
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#135 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB125 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperWeather CaptainSwellify Limited

Customer experience

Surf Captain

All ratings1,121 ratings
Positive97.4%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative21.1%

Swellify

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Surf Captain

Subscriptions3
  • Surf Captain Pro14 Days trial$9.991 Year
  • Surf Captain Pro Annual14 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Surf Captain Pro Plus Annual14 Days trial$39.991 Year
2 purchases

Swellify

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Annual$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Surf Captain free?
Surf Captain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Swellify free?
Swellify is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Surf Captain or Swellify?
Swellify is rated higher. Surf Captain averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Swellify averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Surf Captain or Swellify have ads?
Surf Captain shows ads; Swellify does not.
Which is updated more often, Surf Captain or Swellify?
Surf Captain ships an update weekly, and Swellify every 5 days. Most recently, Surf Captain was updated on November 3, 2026 and Swellify on October 24, 2026.

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