playbuoy vs Flood
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
playbuoy
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.
- 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
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playbuoy brings unparalleled insight into NOAA buoy wave readings. Detailed Swell Observations and Forecast. playbuoy analyzes NOAA buoy data with a customized algorithm to extract detailed swell information from raw buoy observations and wave models. This gives the most accurate breakdown of where swell is headed and when. With 16 days of forecasted swell data, you will always be informed of what to expect for whatever ocean activities you love. While other apps will show two swell components observed or forecasted, playbuoy will show up to five. Beautiful and Meaningful plots. Easily compare the the current buoy readings with model forecasts to prepare and plan for how the forecasts may not be matching up with what is actually happening in the ocean. No other service can visualize the full directional wave spectra for both buoy observations and wave models at once. Explore the latest buoy observations from all over the US and beyond to watch current weather events or plan for future activities. Or select your favorite buoys to keep the wave information you need the most a tap away. Widgets and watch complications keep the latest data a glance away. Never miss a swell again. Share plots and swell data with a custom share function to loop others in and make group plans for surfing, fishing, boating, or any other ocean activity you love.
Flood
This app provides early warnings for coastal flooding along Florida's Gulf Coast. It monitors key conditions like tides, moon phases, and storm proximity, translating complex weather data into easy-to-understand risk levels. Receive timely alerts to stay informed and prepared for rising waters.
- Coastal flood early warning
- Monitors 4 key flood conditions
- Plain-language risk assessment
- Live tide and hurricane tracking
- AI-powered 12-hour outlook
- Moon phase tracking
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Flood-Cast is a coastal flood early-warning app for Florida's Gulf coast — created after Hurricane Helene pushed record surge into homes along the coast, from the barrier islands to Tampa Bay. Instead of burying you in raw weather data, Flood-Cast watches the specific conditions that drive coastal flooding and tells you, in plain language, how worried to be right now. THE 4 FLOOD CONDITIONS Flood-Cast continuously checks the four factors that line up during the worst coastal floods: • Spring tide — a full or new moon, when tides run highest • King tide — a predicted high tide above the king-tide line • Hurricane on a parallel track — a storm running along the coast • Eye 40–75 miles offshore — close enough for the outer bands to push water inland As these stack up, your risk ring climbs from Minimal toward Flood Now — so you can watch the conditions building instead of being caught off guard. RECALIBRATED AGAINST HELENE Helene drove more than six feet of surge with its eye far offshore — a combination simple rules miss. Flood-Cast layers storm-surge, storm-size, and distance escalators on top of the base gate, so a large, distant, surge-driving storm still raises the alarm. WHAT YOU SEE • A friendly risk ring with a plain-language summary • The live 4-condition checklist, so you can watch conditions stack up • A tide curve with the king-tide line, highs, lows, and a "now" marker • A hurricane tracker showing the eye's distance, bearing, and the danger band • The moon drawn in its current phase • A 12-hour AI outlook that reads the trend and explains what's coming LIVE DATA • Tides from NOAA Tides & Currents (your nearest Florida station) • Active storms from the National Hurricane Center • Moon phase computed on your device — no network needed Flood-Cast won't cry wolf. A full Flood Now alert only fires when the conditions truly line up; the rest of the time it quietly shows you the coast is calm. Built for residents, renters, and anyone who loves the Gulf coast and wants a head start before the water rises. A 3-day free trial unlocks the full app. Continuous monitoring and alerts are available by subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://floodcastapp.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: playbuoy at none against Flood's 1. playbuoy also leads on ratings volume (17 vs 1). Flood's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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
Both are free to download. Flood sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $13.99 per year. playbuoy asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for playbuoy against 5.0 for Flood. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: playbuoy has 17 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
playbuoy ships an update every 2 weeks, Flood daily. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | playbuoy | Flood |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (17 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 17 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Matthew Iannucci | Nxtranet |
Customer experience
playbuoy
Flood
In-app purchases
playbuoy
No in-app purchases
Flood
- FloodCast Premium3 Days trial$13.991 Year









