# playbuoy vs ONDA Surf

The clearest difference is device support: playbuoy at 3 against ONDA Surf's 1. ONDA Surf's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.5). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for playbuoy against 5.0 for ONDA Surf. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 13 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

playbuoy ships an update every 2 weeks, ONDA Surf fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and July 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | playbuoy | ONDA Surf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playbuoy/id1662001103/reviews) | [5.0 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onda-surf/id6743212862/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **15** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 21 MB | 111 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Matthew Iannucci](https://appshunter.io/developer/945847569) | [Onda Sports Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1801930588) |

## What reviewers say

### playbuoy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playbuoy/id1662001103)

This app provides detailed swell observations and forecasts using NOAA buoy data and a custom algorithm. It offers beautiful, meaningful plots to compare real-time readings with model forecasts, helping you plan ocean activities.

**Highlights:** Detailed swell observations and forecasts, Custom algorithm for accurate swell breakdown, 16-day swell forecast data, Up to five swell components displayed, Visual comparison of buoy readings and model forecasts, Full directional wave spectra visualization, Widgets and watch complications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### ONDA Surf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onda-surf/id6743212862)

Get real-time surf conditions and live video feeds of local breaks. This app provides hyper-local forecasts, an AI assistant for expert advice, and tools to log your sessions and connect with other surfers.

**Highlights:** Live video spot checks, Hour-by-hour surf forecasts, AI surf assistant, Session logging, Crew chat, Favorite breaks alerts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is playbuoy free?

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

### Is ONDA Surf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, playbuoy or ONDA Surf?

playbuoy and ONDA Surf are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 15 and 13 ratings respectively.

### Do playbuoy or ONDA Surf have ads?

Neither playbuoy nor ONDA Surf shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, playbuoy or ONDA Surf?

playbuoy ships an update every 2 weeks, and ONDA Surf fortnightly. Most recently, playbuoy was updated on September 17, 2026 and ONDA Surf on July 6, 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.*