Comparison

Surf Report vs SwellLab

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

Head to head
About

Surf Report

Access detailed surf forecasts for over 6,000 global surf spots. Filter conditions like swell height, direction, and wind speed to find the optimal time for your next session. Offers a 7-day forecast and wave map for pro users.

Highlights
  • Global surf spot forecasts
  • Advanced filtering options
  • 7-day surf forecast
  • 7-day wave map
  • Swell height, period, and direction
  • Wind speed and direction
Features
Read full description

Surf Report provide surf forecast of 6268 surf spot in the world. Surf report add filter to select the best time to surf. the filter include time, swell height, swell period, swell direction, wind speed, wind direction. 【Pro】 Surf Report for 7 days wave map for 7 days Purchase Notes: 1. The account will be automatically renewed and deducted the corresponding fee 1 day before the expiration. 2. If you need to cancel the renewal, please cancel in your personal iTunes account at least 1 day in advance. 3. After purchase, users can manage or turn off automatic renewal in personal account settings. Terms of Services : https://www.astronomyobserver.net/h5/surf/user Privacy policy: https://www.astronomyobserver.net/h5/surf/privacy

About

SwellLab

Features
Read full description

SwellLab is a surf forecast app built for surfers in Taiwan. Covering 40+ surf spots across the island, it turns wave height, period, swell direction, wind, and tides into easy-to-understand localized ratings — helping you quickly decide where to surf and when to paddle out. Key features: • Surf forecast & scoring — a 10-day outlook with an easy 1–5 rating for every spot, tuned to each break's swell window, tide preference, and bottom type • Best Surf ranking — see which spots are firing right now, sorted across the whole island • Tide & moon — tide charts and moon phase together, so you know exactly when the window opens • Live cams — check real-time video before you drive out • Typhoon tracking — official CWA typhoon and marine warnings, plus swell forecasts through typhoon swell events • Pocket Spots — save your go-to breaks for one-tap access • Surf Alerts — get notified when your saved spots hit the conditions you're after • Multi-source forecast data from ECMWF, NOAA, DWD, Météo-France, and Taiwan's CWA SwellLab Pro unlocks the full 10-day forecast at our most advanced spots, hourly data refresh, unlimited Pocket Spots and Surf Alerts, and the full Best Surf ranking beyond today. Early-bird pricing available for a limited time. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms and Privacy Policy: https://swell-lab.com/privacy https://swell-lab.com/terms

Screenshots

Surf Report4 screens
SwellLab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SwellLab at every 3 days against Surf Report's every 2 months. Surf Report's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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. Surf Report sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and SwellLab sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surf Report ships an update every 2 months, SwellLab every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Surf Report versus SwellLab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurf ReportSwellLab
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer雪平 王Chia-Yu Huang

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Surf Report

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro$2.991 Month
  • Annual Pro$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro$49.99
2 purchases

SwellLab

Subscriptions2
  • SwellLab Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • SwellLab Pro Annual$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Surf Report free?
Surf Report is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SwellLab free?
SwellLab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Surf Report or SwellLab have ads?
Neither Surf Report nor SwellLab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Surf Report or SwellLab?
Surf Report ships an update every 2 months, and SwellLab every 3 days. Most recently, Surf Report was updated on October 27, 2026 and SwellLab on October 25, 2026.

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