Comparison

Windfinder vs Surf

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

Head to head
About

Windfinder

Get detailed wind, weather, and tide forecasts for over 160,000 locations worldwide. Real-time measurements from thousands of weather stations and animated wind maps help you plan outdoor activities and travel.

Highlights
  • Detailed wind and weather forecasts
  • Real-time wind and weather measurements
  • Tide forecasts
  • Animated wind map
  • Severe weather warnings
  • Webcam access
Features
Read full description

Detailed wind and weather forecasts for your location. See wind, waves, tides and weather reports and current wind measurements for your own weather predictions. Easy to use and free of charge. FEATURES: + Detailed wind and weather forecasts for over 160,000 locations + Current wind and weather measurements in real-time from 21,000 weather stations + Tide forecasts for high and low tides for over 20,000 locations around the world + Favorites: save nearby locations and monitor the weather + Animated wind map for a global wind overview + Small Wind Widgets (current conditions) + New: Severe weather warnings for the US and Europe + Measurements listed in knots, Beaufort, mph, km/h and m/s + Parameters: Wind speed, wind direction, gusts, air temperature, felt temperature, clouds coverage, precipitation, air pressure, wave height, wave period and wave direction + Webcams + Optimized display for optimal readability on the go and on any mobile device + Optimized data transfer for a quicker load speed + Topographic maps provide a quick overview of weather conditions and assist with route planning + Easy to use interface - even with wet and cold hands PERFECT FOR: • Kitesurfing & Windsurfing – find that next storm or windy days next door or at your next vacation • Sailing – plan your next sailing trip and ensure safe passage by avoiding bad weather at sea • Wing Foiling - Catch the wind with your wing • Surfing – find the perfect wave and high swell • Dinghy sailing & regatta racers • SUP & Kayak – make sure high waves and wind don’t risk your adventures • Paragliding – find a good wind right from the start • Fishing – ensure a good catch with wind directions and tides • Cycling, hiking & trekking – check if it will be windy on your route and take the right gear • Boat owners & captains – keep an eye on the current wind conditions and tides • ... anyone interested in reliable wind and weather predictions WINDFINDER PLUS: Subscribe to Windfinder Plus to get access to all features. With Windfinder Plus you also get: + Wind alerts: Specify your preferred wind conditions and get notified when windy or calm days are forecasted + Superforecast: our hourly high-resolution forecasting model for North America, Europe, South Africa, Egypt and the Canary Islands + Wind & Weather Widgets in all sizes with wind preview + Ad free: no distractions + Wind preview: get a quick visual overview of the next ten days + New: Value grid for weather parameters directly on the map + Animated wind speed maps with wind gusts, temperature, precipitation and topographic images + Wind report map: Real-time wind measurements from over 21,000 stations directly on the wind map + all webcams in the area + many more Windfinder Plus is available as an In App Purchase. Subscriptions: Windfinder Plus: We offer auto-renewable "Windfinder Plus" subscriptions for one month or one year. The subscription unlocks the full feature set of Windfinder Plus. Remove Ads: We offer auto-renewable "Remove Ads" subscriptions for 3 months, 6 months or one year. The app will be free of ads while the "Remove Ads" subscription is active. Details: A free trial period of 7 days is offered. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. You will be charged for another period (1 month, 3 months, 6 months or one year) unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the subscription is renewed. You can turn off the auto-renewal in your account settings after purchase. Terms of Use: www.windfinder.com/contact/terms Privacy Policy: www.windfinder.com/contact/privacy_policy SOCIAL MEDIA: • Facebook: @Windfinder.com • Instagram: @windfindercom • Youtube: wind.to/Youtube • Support: support@windfinder.com • FAQ: windfinder.com/help

About

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.

Highlights
  • Detailed surf forecasts
  • Wavefinder map
  • Live webcam links
  • Tide times
  • 12-day forecasts
  • Custom surf alerts
Features
Read full description

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

Windfinder4 screens
Surf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Windfinder at 63K against Surf's 1K. 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Windfinder sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Windfinder against 4.9 for Surf. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Windfinder has 63K ratings behind it against 1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of Windfinder's written reviews are positive against 86% of Surf's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Windfinder ships an update every 4 weeks, Surf every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 10 level
Windfinder versus Surf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWindfinderSurf
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (63K ratings)4.9 (1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews86.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings63K — better1K
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#47 — better#100
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size88 MB138 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWindfinderMeteo365 Ltd.

Customer experience

Windfinder

All ratings63,229 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral2.2%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews494 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral4.0%
Negative14.2%

Surf

All ratings940 ratings
Positive99.3%
Neutral0.1%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive86.4%
Neutral4.0%
Negative9.6%

User reviews

Windfinder

From 63K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Accurate wind and weather forecasts
  • 🚀 Detailed and easy-to-use interface
  • 💡 Helpful for planning outdoor activities and sports
  • 👍 Reliable and consistent performance
  • 💡 Includes tide information

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional inaccuracies in wind/weather predictions
  • 🔍 Limited information for some locations
  • 💰 Ads can be intrusive in free version
  • 🔍 Lack of advanced features like dark mode

Surf

From 1K App Store ratings

What 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

Windfinder

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes or freezes on some devices
  • Widget not functioning properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Hourly wind/weather updates
  • Ability to add custom locations
  • More detailed weather information (rain, humidity, etc.)
  • Integration with other weather/outdoor 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

6 purchases

Windfinder

Subscriptions6
  • Windfinder Plus monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • 3 month ad-free2 variants$2.493 Months
  • 6 month ad-free2 variants$3.996 Months
Show 3 more
  • 1 Year ad free2 variants$4.991 Year
  • Windfinder Plus Yearly7 Days trial$12.991 Year
  • Windfinder Plus Yearly1 Year trial$12.991 Year
2 purchases

Surf

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Service: Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium Service (Yearly)$34.991 Year

Questions

Is Windfinder free?
Windfinder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Surf free?
Surf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Windfinder or Surf?
Surf is rated higher. Windfinder averages 4.8 out of 5 from 63K ratings, while Surf averages 4.9 from 1K ratings.
Do Windfinder or Surf have ads?
Both Windfinder and Surf show ads.
Which is updated more often, Windfinder or Surf?
Windfinder ships an update every 4 weeks, and Surf every 6 weeks. Most recently, Windfinder was updated on November 13, 2026 and Surf on November 12, 2026.
Which is more popular, Windfinder or Surf?
Windfinder currently peaks at #47 in the App Store charts, and Surf at #100. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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