Comparison

Surf Captain vs Surf Forecast | Surfnerd

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

Surf Forecast | Surfnerd

Get accurate, real-time surf forecasts including wind, swell, and tide information on a single screen. Explore surf spots, receive smart alerts for changing conditions, and log your sessions to improve your wave reading skills.

Highlights
  • Real-time surf forecasts
  • Wind, swell, and tide on one screen
  • Interactive surf maps
  • Smart condition alerts
  • Spot guides and local tips
  • Session logging
Read full description

Accurate surf forecasts, always fresh. Wind, swell and tide, all on one screen, updated in real time. No more “you should have been here yesterday.” View interactive surf maps, detailed surf forecast tables, and get smart alerts when conditions shift — so you never miss a session. Whether you’re checking your home break or planning a trip, Surfnerd gives you the best possible read on the waves, right now. Features: - One-screen overview: swell, wind, tide, and wave energy - Always fresh forecasts, with alerts for significant changes - Explore surf spots near and far - Spot guides packed with break details and local tips - Log sessions to compare with past conditions and improve your forecasting Surfnerd delivers accurate surf forecasts. Nothing more, nothing less. Terms of Use: https://www.surfnerd.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.surfnerd.com/privacy

Screenshots

Surf Captain4 screens
Surf Forecast | Surfnerd4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Surf Forecast | Surfnerd at none against Surf Captain's shown. Surf Captain's advantage is ratings volume (968 vs 2) and chart position (#125 vs unranked). 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 Surf Forecast | Surfnerd sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Surf Forecast | Surfnerd holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf Captain has 968 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Surf Captain versus Surf Forecast | Surfnerd: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurf CaptainSurf Forecast | Surfnerd
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (968 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings968 — better2
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#125 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB63 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWeather CaptainJoris de Ruiter

Customer experience

Surf Captain

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

Surf Forecast | Surfnerd

All ratings2 ratings
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
6 purchases

Surf Forecast | Surfnerd

Subscriptions6
  • Surfnerd+ Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Surfnerd+ Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Surfnerd+ Monthly7 Days trial$6.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Surfnerd+ Yearly$29.991 Year
  • Surfnerd+ Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Surfnerd+ Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Surf Captain free?
Surf Captain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Surf Forecast | Surfnerd free?
Surf Forecast | Surfnerd is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Surf Captain or Surf Forecast | Surfnerd?
Surf Forecast | Surfnerd is rated higher. Surf Captain averages 4.8 out of 5 from 968 ratings, while Surf Forecast | Surfnerd averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Surf Captain or Surf Forecast | Surfnerd have ads?
Surf Captain shows ads; Surf Forecast | Surfnerd does not.
Which is updated more often, Surf Captain or Surf Forecast | Surfnerd?
Surf Captain ships an update weekly, and Surf Forecast | Surfnerd weekly. Most recently, Surf Captain was updated on October 27, 2026 and Surf Forecast | Surfnerd on October 28, 2026.

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