# Surf Alerts vs Surf

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Surf Alerts at none against Surf's 2. Surf Alerts also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 weeks). Surf's advantage is chart position (#98 vs unranked). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Surf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Surf Alerts asks for nothing beyond the download.

Surf Alerts ships an update every 2 days, Surf every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surf Alerts | Surf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.9 (991 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-forecastcom/id6450721636/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **991** |
| Positive reviews | — | 87.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#98** |
| Size | 54 MB | 138 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adam Goldin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1623303591) | [Meteo365 Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/661723505) |

## What reviewers say

### Surf Alerts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-alerts/id1623303589)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Surf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-forecastcom/id6450721636)

**Currently charting:** #98 Top Grossing · Weather, #143 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

Get simple, accurate surf forecasts for over 7,000 breaks worldwide. Plan your sessions with detailed wave information, tide times, and mapping to find the best conditions and nearby spots. Access extended forecasts and custom alerts with premium features.

**Highlights:** Detailed surf forecasts, Wavefinder map, Live webcam links, Tide times, 12-day forecasts, Custom surf alerts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Service: Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Service (Yearly) | $34.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌊 Accurate surf forecasts
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🗺️ Comprehensive coverage of locations
- 🔍 Detailed information (swell, wind, tides, etc.)
- 💰 Good value for subscription

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔄 Inconsistent data updates
- 🌊 Wave height/conditions not always accurate
- 🏞️ Missing data for some locations (e.g. Great Lakes)
- 🤔 Confusing or misleading surf ratings/forecasts

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes or freezes on some devices
- Geolocation issues with break markers

**Requested features**

- Ability to manually refresh data
- More detailed tidal/current information
- Expanded location coverage
- Improved accuracy for wave height/conditions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Surf Alerts free?

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

### Is Surf free?

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

### Do Surf Alerts or Surf have ads?

Surf shows ads; Surf Alerts does not.

### Which is updated more often, Surf Alerts or Surf?

Surf Alerts ships an update every 2 days, and Surf every 6 weeks. Most recently, Surf Alerts was updated on October 6, 2026 and Surf on October 21, 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.*