MSW Surf Forecast vs Surf
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/.
Surf
Get simple, accurate surf forecasts for over 7,000 breaks worldwide. Plan your sessions with detailed wave information, tide times, and mapping to find the best conditions and nearby spots. Access extended forecasts and custom alerts with premium features.
- Detailed surf forecasts
- Wavefinder map
- Live webcam links
- Tide times
- 12-day forecasts
- Custom surf alerts
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Surf-Forecast.com gives you simple, accurate and easy-to-read surf forecasts so you have the best chance of hitting those breaks when the waves are pumping. Built by surfers, for surfers, and trusted by millions of surfers for over 20 years, our updated app lets you see all your favorite surf spots at a glance. Providing detailed surf forecasts for over 7,000 breaks worldwide, our new features let you see further ahead than ever before - giving you plenty of advance warning for when those swells start coming in. Find the best surfing conditions near you and use the rating tool to find exactly when to go. – FREE App Features ⁃ Detailed surf forecasts ⁃ Wavefinder map ⁃ Live webcam links ⁃ Multi-swell component presentation ⁃ Tide times ⁃ Detailed mapping to locate nearby breaks – Surf Premium Benefits ⁃ Access to the full 16 days of our new Wavefinder feature ⁃ Hourly forecasts ⁃ 16 day forecasts ⁃ Custom surf alerts ⁃ Ad-free browsing on our website So what are you waiting for? Grab your board and get exploring. We’ll see you out there! For the full Terms and Conditions of this service please visit: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: MSW Surf Forecast at 15K against Surf's 997. MSW Surf Forecast also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). Surf's advantage is chart position (#110 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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 3 in-app purchases, starting at $21.99 per year and Surf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for MSW Surf Forecast against 4.9 for Surf. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MSW Surf Forecast has 15K ratings behind it against 997, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of MSW Surf Forecast's written reviews are positive against 86% of Surf's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MSW Surf Forecast | Surf |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (15K ratings) | 4.9 (997 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 93.1% of reviews — better | 86.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 15K — better | 997 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #110 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 31 MB | 138 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Surfline/Wavetrak | Meteo365 Ltd. |
Customer experience
MSW Surf Forecast
Surf
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
Surf
From 997 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌊 Accurate surf forecasts
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🗺️ Comprehensive coverage of locations
- 🔍 Detailed information (swell, wind, tides, etc.)
- 💰 Good value for subscription
Room to improve
- 🔄 Inconsistent data updates
- 🌊 Wave height/conditions not always accurate
- 🏞️ Missing data for some locations (e.g. Great Lakes)
- 🤔 Confusing or misleading surf ratings/forecasts
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
Surf
Reported bugs
2 issues- Crashes or freezes on some devices
- Geolocation issues with break markers
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to manually refresh data
- More detailed tidal/current information
- Expanded location coverage
- Improved accuracy for wave height/conditions
In-app purchases
MSW Surf Forecast
- Surfline Premium - Yearly$21.991 Year
- Surfline Premium - Yearly2 variants$99.991 Year
- MSW App+$2.99
Surf
- Premium Service: Monthly$4.991 Month
- Premium Service (Yearly)$34.991 Year
