Comparison

Surf Captain vs Swell Intel

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

Swell Intel

Get detailed surf forecasts, real-time conditions, and smart alerts to find the best waves. Plan your surf trips with up to 16-day forecasts and easily scan spot conditions at a glance. Receive notifications when conditions meet your standards, ensuring you never miss a good session.

Highlights
  • Detailed surf forecasts up to 16 days
  • Real-time wave height, swell, and wind data
  • Smart alerts for optimal surf conditions
  • At-a-glance spot condition ratings
  • Detailed forecast charts (swell, wind, tide)
  • Find and save nearby surf spots
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Swell Intel gives you everything you need to score the best waves — detailed surf forecasts, real-time conditions, and smart alerts that tell you when to go. Check the Conditions - Wave height, swell direction, wind speed, and surf quality ratings for every surf spot across the US and Puerto Rico. Forecasts extend up to 16 days so you can plan trips with confidence. At-a-Glance Conditions- Spot cards show morning, midday, and evening ratings at a glance — quickly scan which spots are firing and when the window is best without tapping into every forecast. Surf Alerts - Set a minimum condition rating on your favorite spots and get notified by push notification or email when conditions meet your standards. Never miss a good session again. Detailed Forecast Charts - Dive into swell period and direction, wind barbs, wave energy, tide charts, and sunrise/sunset — all the data you need in one place. Find Nearby Spots - Discover surf spots near your with real-time conditions and ratings. Save your favorites for quick access. Free to Use, More with Premium - Free: 5-day forecast, 5 nearby spots, 5 favorites, 1 alert - Premium Plus: 16-day forecast, 15 spots, 15 favorites, 10 alerts Terms of service - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Surf Captain4 screens
Swell Intel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Swell Intel at none against Surf Captain's shown. Swell Intel also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 76%). Surf Captain's advantage is ratings volume (1.1K vs 11). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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 Swell Intel sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Swell Intel 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 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Surf Captain's written reviews are positive against 100% of Swell Intel's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surf Captain ships an update weekly, Swell Intel every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Surf Captain versus Swell Intel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurf CaptainSwell Intel
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.1K ratings)5.0 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K — better11
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 6 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#187 — better#198
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB51 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWeather CaptainSwell Intel LLC

Customer experience

Surf Captain

All ratings129 ratings
Positive89.9%
Neutral2.3%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive75.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative24.2%

Swell Intel

All ratings11 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 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
3 purchases

Swell Intel

Subscriptions3
  • Swell Intel Premium Monthly14 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Swell Intel Premium Plus14 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly14 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Surf Captain free?
Surf Captain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Swell Intel free?
Swell Intel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Surf Captain or Swell Intel?
Swell Intel is rated higher. Surf Captain averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Swell Intel averages 5.0 from 11 ratings.
Do Surf Captain or Swell Intel have ads?
Surf Captain shows ads; Swell Intel does not.
Which is updated more often, Surf Captain or Swell Intel?
Surf Captain ships an update weekly, and Swell Intel every 6 days. Most recently, Surf Captain was updated on October 30, 2026 and Swell Intel on October 28, 2026.
Which is more popular, Surf Captain or Swell Intel?
Surf Captain currently peaks at #187 in the App Store charts, and Swell Intel at #198. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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