# NOAA CBIBS vs NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NOAA CBIBS at none against NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data's 2. NOAA CBIBS also leads on ads (none vs shown). NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (74% vs 46%). On price, rating, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. NOAA CBIBS asks for nothing beyond the download.

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data has 2.5K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of NOAA CBIBS's written reviews are positive against 74% of NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data's.

NOAA CBIBS ships an update every 9 months, NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NOAA CBIBS | NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noaa-cbibs/id439920948/reviews) | **[4.7 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noaa-buoy-reports-and-ship-data/id1038264455/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **2.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 46.2% of reviews | **73.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#194** |
| Size | 15 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | **18.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chesapeake Conservancy](https://appshunter.io/developer/439920951) | [Juggernaut Technology, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/494748553) |

## What reviewers say

### NOAA CBIBS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noaa-cbibs/id439920948)

Access real-time weather and water data collected by smart buoys in the Chesapeake Bay. This information supports the use and management of a healthy bay, improving safety, economy, and environmental protection.

**Highlights:** Real-time weather data, Real-time water data, Chesapeake Bay information, Supports bay management, Improves safety and environment

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noaa-buoy-reports-and-ship-data/id1038264455)

**Currently charting:** #194 Top Grossing · Weather (US App Store)

Access detailed buoy and ship observation data without weather forecasts or tide information. View current conditions, historical trends, and storm locations on an intuitive map. Monitor your favorite locations with customizable widgets.

**Highlights:** Intuitive map interface, Quick-view Favorites, Tropical Storm/Hurricane/Cyclone locations, Full buoy current conditions, Past buoy data (Premium), Interactive graphs, Home Screen Widgets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Annual Subscription | $7.99 | per year |
| Buoy Reports Premium | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Critical infrastructure
- 🚀 Excellent source of sea conditions
- 🚀 Valuable buoy information
- 👍 Plenty of information
- 👍 Great app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 More data needed
- 🐛 Incomplete and inaccurate
- 🐛 Wave height data not working
- 🐛 No buoy reports
- 🐛 No wave data

**Reported bugs**

- Buoy data not available most of the time
- Ships rarely contribute data
- Wave height data missing for certain areas
- Upgraded version still doesn't work

**Requested features**

- GPS coordinates for buoys
- Ability to filter by data type
- Display past wave heights
- Bring back removed buoys


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NOAA CBIBS free?

NOAA CBIBS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data free?

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, NOAA CBIBS or NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data?

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data is rated higher. NOAA CBIBS averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data averages 4.7 from 2.5K ratings.

### Do NOAA CBIBS or NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data have ads?

NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data shows ads; NOAA CBIBS does not.

### Which is updated more often, NOAA CBIBS or NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data?

NOAA CBIBS ships an update every 9 months, and NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data every 2 weeks. Most recently, NOAA CBIBS was updated on October 23, 2026 and NOAA Buoy Reports & Ship Data on November 2, 2026.

---

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