# Surf or Die vs Shark Waves

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shark Waves at none against Surf or Die's 2. Shark Waves also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Surf or Die's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Surf or Die sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Shark Waves asks for nothing beyond the download.

Surf or Die ships an update every 29 months, Shark Waves every 24 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surf or Die | Shark Waves |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.1 (174 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-or-die/id392566571/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **174** | — |
| Positive reviews | 20.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 29 months | **Every 24 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 29 MB | 135 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Sea Venture LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/312276940) | [Henrique Silva](https://appshunter.io/developer/492945915) |

## What reviewers say

### Surf or Die

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-or-die/id392566571)

Experience the thrill of surfing across 19 iconic global locations. Master new boards and perform advanced tricks as you conquer monster waves. This game offers realistic graphics and immersive sound for an authentic surfing adventure.

**Highlights:** 19 world-class surfing locations, Unlock new boards and moves, Perform dozens of tricks, Advanced OpenGL graphics, Online high score database, Multiple camera angles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Surf or Die Act III | $0.99 | one-time |
| Surf or Die Full Version | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Awesome surfing experience
- 🤩 Challenging and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Realistic wave mechanics
- 💯 Best surfing game ever

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🤯 Extremely difficult controls
- 🤔 Lack of instructions/tutorials
- 🙄 Terrible graphics and visuals

**Reported bugs**

- Constant wipeouts with no way to recover
- Inconsistent wave behavior and physics
- High score tracking not working properly

**Requested features**

- More surfing locations and levels
- Ability to customize boards and characters
- Multiplayer and leaderboard features
- Better optimization and stability


### Shark Waves

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shark-waves/id1577396514)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Surf or Die free?

Surf or Die is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Shark Waves free?

Shark Waves is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Surf or Die or Shark Waves have ads?

Shark Waves shows ads; Surf or Die does not.

### Which is updated more often, Surf or Die or Shark Waves?

Surf or Die ships an update every 29 months, and Shark Waves every 24 months. Most recently, Surf or Die was updated on November 1, 2026 and Shark Waves on October 13, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*