Comparison

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.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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/.​

About

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.

Highlights
  • Accurate surf forecasts
  • Northern & Southern California spots
  • Buoy data interpretation
  • Easy-to-understand reports
  • Regional coverage
Features
Read full description

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

MSW Surf Forecast4 screens
Spitcast Surf Report3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
MSW Surf Forecast versus Spitcast Surf Report: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMSW Surf ForecastSpitcast Surf Report
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (15K ratings) — better4.7 (408 ratings)
Positive reviews93.1% of reviews — better60.7% of reviews
Number of ratings15K — better408
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSurfline/WavetrakJack Mullis

Customer experience

MSW Surf Forecast

All ratings14,904 ratings
Positive98.2%
Neutral1.0%
Negative0.7%
Written reviews494 reviews
Positive93.1%
Neutral2.8%
Negative4.0%

Spitcast Surf Report

All ratings408 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral5.4%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive60.7%
Neutral10.7%
Negative28.6%

User reviews

MSW Surf Forecast

From 15K App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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
Show 5 more
  • 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)
Show 3 more
  • Bring back old GUI
  • Indicate prediction for course of one day
  • Explanation for orange vs. gray bars

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MSW Surf Forecast

One-time1
  • MSW App+$2.99
1 purchases

Spitcast Surf Report

Subscriptions1
  • Unlimited Access$0.491 Month

Questions

Is MSW Surf Forecast free?
MSW Surf Forecast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Spitcast Surf Report free?
Spitcast Surf Report is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MSW Surf Forecast or Spitcast Surf Report?
MSW Surf Forecast is rated higher. MSW Surf Forecast averages 4.8 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Spitcast Surf Report averages 4.7 from 408 ratings.
Do MSW Surf Forecast or Spitcast Surf Report have ads?
MSW Surf Forecast shows ads; Spitcast Surf Report does not.
Which is updated more often, MSW Surf Forecast or Spitcast Surf Report?
MSW Surf Forecast ships an update every 6 weeks, and Spitcast Surf Report every 2 months. Most recently, MSW Surf Forecast was updated on November 8, 2026 and Spitcast Surf Report on November 6, 2026.

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