MSW Surf Forecast vs Spitcast Surf Report
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MSW Surf Forecast
Access comprehensive surf forecasts, live surf cams, and expert reports for breaks worldwide. Plan future surf trips with 16-day forecasts and relive your sessions with wave analysis and video playback. Shop surf gear and stay updated on surf news.
- Live surf cams at 950+ breaks
- 16-day long-range forecasts
- Daily surf reports from experts
- Wave height, wind, weather, and tide data
- Surf Alerts for perfect conditions
- Cam Rewind for session replays
- Surf gear shopping with premium benefits
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Magicseaweed has joined Surfline and the MSW app is no longer being supported. You can now get all your favorite features on Surfline: Keep track of current surf conditions. -View live surf cams at 950+ breaks around the world. -Get daily surf reports from our team of experts. -View wave height, live wind, weather, water temperature, and tide. -Choose to get notified when the conditions are perfect at your favorite spots with Surf Alerts. -View detailed buoy charts and nearshore models. Plan future surf adventures. -Use 16-day long-range forecasts to plan ahead. -Read swell analysis from our in-house forecasting team. Relive your sessions and watch your waves. -Use Cam Rewind to watch and download your best waves (and wipeouts). -Sync your Apple Watch to log Surfline Sessions and get your waves sent straight to your phone. -View detailed analysis of waves ridden, length of ride, and speed. -Share your rides with friends and on social media. Shop top-quality surf essentials. -Shop a selection of surfboards, wetsuits, surf accessories, and other gear. -Save up to $60 on every order. (Premium only) -Get free shipping on every order. (Premium only) -View gear guides, reviews, and other gear-related stories. Stay connected to all things surf. -Watch the world’s best waves with live coverage of major swell events. -Read up on the latest surf news, travel, training, and gear content. Search for ‘Surfline’ on the App Store to download. -- MSW Pro Subscriptions and Renewals Magicseaweed Pro Subscriptions are no longer available to purchase for most subscribers as part of the migration to Surfline. MSW Pro subscribers now have access to a Surfline Premium membership until the end of their current MSW Pro subscription term. Unless auto-renewal is turned off through iTunes account settings, the Surfline Premium membership will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of your current MSW subscription term. Full terms and conditions can be found at https://magicseaweed.com/legal/terms-and-conditions-of-use/.
Spitcast Surf Report
Get accurate surf forecasts for numerous locations across Northern and Southern California. This app interprets buoy data to provide easy-to-understand surf reports, helping surfers plan their next session.
- Accurate surf forecasts
- Northern & Southern California spots
- Buoy data interpretation
- Easy-to-understand reports
- Regional coverage
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Spitcast gives you accurate surf forecasts for surf spots throughout Northern CA and Southern California. Surfers trust our surf prediction algorithm to interpret buoy data and provide easy to understand and reliable surf reports at surf spots in regions including Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Seal Beach, Orange County, San Diego, and Santa Cruz. Check the forecast, grab your surfboard, and go for a surf! —— Spitcast Subscription purchase details —— • Subscription services are rendered for 1 month • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal • Subscriptions may be managed by the user via the iPhone Settings app • Terms and conditions and privacy policy can be found here https://www.spitcast.com/terms/ and https://www.spitcast.com/privacy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: MSW Surf Forecast at free with in-app purchases against Spitcast Surf Report's subscription. MSW Surf Forecast also leads on review sentiment (93% vs 61%) and ratings volume (15K vs 408). Spitcast Surf Report's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. MSW Surf Forecast sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Spitcast Surf Report sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
MSW Surf Forecast holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MSW Surf Forecast has 15K ratings behind it against 408, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of MSW Surf Forecast's written reviews are positive against 61% of Spitcast Surf Report's.
MSW Surf Forecast ships an update every 6 weeks, Spitcast Surf Report every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MSW Surf Forecast | Spitcast Surf Report |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (15K ratings) — better | 4.7 (408 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 93.1% of reviews — better | 60.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 15K — better | 408 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 31 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Surfline/Wavetrak | Jack Mullis |
Customer experience
MSW Surf Forecast
Spitcast Surf Report
User reviews
MSW Surf Forecast
From 15K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌊 Accurate surf forecasts
- 📊 Detailed wave and weather information
- 🗺️ Comprehensive coverage of surf spots
- ⏱️ Helpful tide and sunrise/sunset times
- 🎨 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional inaccuracies in forecasts
- 💰 Paywall for some features (e.g., webcams)
- 🔍 Limited number of spots in some regions
- 🔀 Navigation changes can be confusing
- 🔋 Concerns about battery drain
Spitcast Surf Report
From 408 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Lightweight and easy to use
- 👍 Great surf forecast
- 👍 Accurate reports
- 👍 No advertisements
- 👍 Low cost / high value
Room to improve
- 🐛 Forecasts are inaccurate (off by feet/mph)
- 🐛 App stopped working after a week
- 🐛 Charts have fixed Y-axis, data exceeds axis
- 🐛 Dark mode impossible to read
- 🐛 Color contrast not accessible
Bugs and requests
MSW Surf Forecast
Reported bugs
2 issues- Favorites list not syncing across devices
- Webcam functionality not working as expected
Requested features
4 requests- Customizable notifications for swell/conditions
- Improved sorting/filtering of favorite spots
- More detailed local spot descriptions
- Integration with other weather/surf apps
Spitcast Surf Report
Reported bugs
10 issues- App started nagging to sign up for premium
- App stopped working after a week
- Charts have fixed Y-axis, data exceeds axis and is unlabeled
- Dark mode is impossible to read
- Color contrast is not accessible
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- No ocean water temps for SOCAL
- App less complete in offering many surf locations compared to website
- Graphics not optimized for mobile viewing
- New UI is terrible
- App must be on the coast to work
Requested features
8 requests- Option to change colors
- Add swell direction
- Add hourly specs like website
- Search for specific areas
- Explanation of symbols (circles, % of month letters)
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- Bring back old GUI
- Indicate prediction for course of one day
- Explanation for orange vs. gray bars
In-app purchases
MSW Surf Forecast
- MSW App+$2.99
Spitcast Surf Report
- Unlimited Access$0.491 Month
Questions
Is MSW Surf Forecast free?
Is Spitcast Surf Report free?
Which has better reviews, MSW Surf Forecast or Spitcast Surf Report?
Do MSW Surf Forecast or Spitcast Surf Report have ads?
Which is updated more often, MSW Surf Forecast or Spitcast Surf Report?
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