Comparison

playbuoy vs Flood

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

playbuoy4 screens
Flood3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Flood sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $13.99 per year. playbuoy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

playbuoy ships an update every 2 weeks, Flood daily. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
playbuoy versus Flood: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterplaybuoyFlood
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (17 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings17 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS18.517.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatthew IannucciNxtranet

Customer experience

playbuoy

All ratings15 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Flood

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

playbuoy

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Flood

Subscriptions1
  • FloodCast Premium3 Days trial$13.991 Year

Questions

Is playbuoy free?
playbuoy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Flood free?
Flood is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, playbuoy or Flood?
playbuoy and Flood are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 17 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do playbuoy or Flood have ads?
Neither playbuoy nor Flood shows ads.
Which is updated more often, playbuoy or Flood?
playbuoy ships an update every 2 weeks, and Flood daily. Most recently, playbuoy was updated on October 21, 2026 and Flood on October 13, 2026.

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