# USGA vs SurfVista

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SurfVista at 100% against USGA's 37%. SurfVista also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). USGA's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (22K vs 6). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SurfVista sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. USGA asks for nothing beyond the download.

SurfVista holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: USGA has 22K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of USGA's written reviews are positive against 100% of SurfVista's.

USGA ships an update every 3 weeks, SurfVista every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | USGA | SurfVista |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/usga/id1612139159/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfvista/id6756734521/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **22K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 36.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 218 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [United States Golf Association](https://appshunter.io/developer/319204553) | [LYDON TAYLOR MANNING](https://appshunter.io/developer/1862548739) |

## What reviewers say

### USGA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/usga/id1612139159)

Stream live golf coverage of featured groups and track real-time scores for all USGA championships. Follow your favorite players with personalized updates and access on-site tools for attendees, including mobile ticketing and course maps.

**Highlights:** Free live streaming of featured groups, Real-time scoring and statistics, Personalized player tracking with AI recaps, Mobile ticketing and on-site tools, Full-screen vertical story highlights, Latest tee times and push notifications

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive user interface
- 🚀 Smooth live streaming
- 📊 Detailed course and player information
- 💡 Useful features like shot tracing and maps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and bugs
- ⚠️ Constant update prompts with no actual updates available
- 🔋 High battery drain during live streaming
- 📱 Readability issues on smaller screens
- 🚫 Lack of Chromecast support

**Reported bugs**

- Glitches with adding/removing favorite players
- Inability to navigate back in the app
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Auto-refresh function for leaderboards and scoring
- Ability to customize favorite players
- More comprehensive live coverage and video highlights


### SurfVista

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfvista/id6756734521)

Get real-time surf conditions and HD drone footage to optimize your beach trips. Access comprehensive weather, tide, and surf data from official sources, all in one convenient app.

**Highlights:** HD drone video surf reports, Real-time weather data, Tide and surf data from NOAA, Sunrise swell footage, Daily surf reports

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SurfVista Monthly Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $99.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is USGA free?

USGA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SurfVista free?

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

### Which has better reviews, USGA or SurfVista?

SurfVista is rated higher. USGA averages 4.7 out of 5 from 22K ratings, while SurfVista averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do USGA or SurfVista have ads?

Neither USGA nor SurfVista shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, USGA or SurfVista?

USGA ships an update every 3 weeks, and SurfVista every 9 days. Most recently, USGA was updated on October 21, 2026 and SurfVista on October 9, 2026.

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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.*