# playbuoy vs Flood

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | playbuoy | Flood |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playbuoy/id1662001103/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flood-cast/id6785224192/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **17** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Matthew Iannucci](https://appshunter.io/developer/945847569) | [Nxtranet](https://appshunter.io/developer/346855612) |

## 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


### Flood

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flood-cast/id6785224192)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FloodCast Premium | $13.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*