# Surf Dating vs Thalio

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Surf Dating at 77% against Thalio's 0%. Surf Dating also leads on ratings volume (522 vs 7) and rating (4.0 vs 3.7). Thalio's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Surf Dating sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Thalio sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Surf Dating holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf Dating has 522 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Surf Dating's written reviews are positive against 0% of Thalio's.

Surf Dating ships an update every 11 days, Thalio weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surf Dating | Thalio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (522 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-dating/id1618707147/reviews)** | [3.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thalio/id6751552538/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **522** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **77.5% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 56 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Siift Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618707149) | [Sergi Laurent](https://appshunter.io/developer/1835771505) |

## What reviewers say

### Surf Dating

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-dating/id1618707147)

This dating app offers a unique Grid interface for authentic connections. It features human-verified profiles to ensure no bots or catfishes, and allows extensive filtering by interests and location for a safer dating experience.

**Highlights:** Human-verified profiles, Grid interface for control, Filter by interests and location, Mutual connections feature, Secure and safe dating, Bot and catfish free

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $15.99 | per month |
| Recommended | $38.99 | per 3 months |
| Best Value | $59.99 | per 6 months |
| 3 Gems | $10.99 | one-time |
| 12 Gems | $35.99 | one-time |
| 24 Gems | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Verified user profiles
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🚀 Efficient search and filtering
- 💡 Mutual friends feature for trust
- 🔒 Secure and safe connections

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and freezing app
- 🤔 Mandatory contact sharing requirement
- ⏱️ Extremely long verification process
- 🤔 Forced referral system to create account
- 🤔 Limited user selection in some areas

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot get past education profile setup
- Freezes when trying to remove profiles

**Requested features**

- Trade school education option
- Ability to select contacts to share


### Thalio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thalio/id6751552538)

Identify marine species with AI, explore interactive collections, and learn detailed facts about ocean life. Discover regional species and contribute to conservation efforts. Some advanced features require a subscription.

**Highlights:** AI species recognition, Interactive marine life collection, Detailed species profiles, Regional species exploration, Conservation contribution, Gamified upgrades

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reef Hero 1 Week | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Reef Hero Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Early Reef Hero 1 Year | $17.99 | per year |
| Early Reef Hero 1 Year | $21.99 | per year |
| Reef Hero Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Surf Dating free?

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

### Is Thalio free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Surf Dating or Thalio?

Surf Dating is rated higher. Surf Dating averages 4.0 out of 5 from 522 ratings, while Thalio averages 3.7 from 7 ratings.

### Do Surf Dating or Thalio have ads?

Neither Surf Dating nor Thalio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Surf Dating or Thalio?

Surf Dating ships an update every 11 days, and Thalio weekly. Most recently, Surf Dating was updated on November 12, 2026 and Thalio on November 5, 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.*