Comparison

FOX 8 Weather vs Wave Whisperer

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

Head to head
About

FOX 8 Weather

Get hyper-local weather information with high-resolution radar and satellite imagery. Receive hourly and daily forecasts, and stay informed with severe weather alerts directly from the National Weather Service.

Highlights
  • 250 meter radar
  • Future radar tracking
  • High resolution satellite imagery
  • Hourly updated forecasts
  • Favorite location saving
  • GPS current location
  • Severe weather alerts
Features
Read full description

The WVUE Mobile Weather App includes: * Access to station content specifically for our mobile users * 250 meter radar, the highest resolution available * Future radar to see where severe weather is headed * High resolution satellite cloud imagery * Current weather updated multiple times per hour * Daily and Hourly forecasts updated hourly from our computer models * Ability to add and save your favorite locations * A fully integrated GPS for current location awareness * Severe weather alerts from the National Weather Service * Opt-in push alerts to keep you safe in severe weather

About

Wave Whisperer

Access real-time buoy data for surfers, including swell height, period, direction, and sea surface temperature. Track historical readings, compare conditions over 24 hours, and learn about buoy data with an educational section. Features a low-light mode and customizable units.

Highlights
  • Real-time buoy data (swell, period, direction, temp)
  • 24-hour condition comparison
  • Save and revisit historical readings
  • Rotating compass with swell direction
  • Buoy School educational section
  • Low Light display mode
  • Customizable units (feet/meters, F/C)
Features
Read full description

Read the buoy. Watch the water. Train your call. Wave Whisperer pulls current buoy data straight from CDIP (Scripps) and NOAA's National Data Buoy Center. See current swell height, period, direction, and sea surface temperature for your break, all on one clean screen. Built for surfers who want the numbers as measured, not a forecast. Study for a season. See the results. With time, discipline and patience, you become a better surfer who understands the ocean and your break. What you get: • Your own buoys: five to start, the nearest to you when location is on, then any of 109 across the North Pacific • Individual swells and the average period, two switches you turn on when you want them • 24-hour comparison, so you can see how conditions have shifted • Recent data at a glance; press and hold a row to log a past reading • Your logbook: tap the pencil to log a reading, name it what you saw, and star it. When a live reading matches a starred log, an amber ring highlights CURRENT • A rotating compass with swell direction on the rim • Buoy School: what every reading means, with CDIP's own definitions and links • Dark display mode for dawn patrol • Feet and Fahrenheit, or meters and Celsius; 12-hour or 24-hour clock • A share card for the current reading No ads. No accounts. No tracking. Your logbook stays on your device and in your own iCloud. Try it free for 30 days. After that, a one-time $1.99 unlock keeps it going. No subscription. Wave Whisperer shows current measured conditions. It is not a forecast and does not tell you whether to paddle out. Always use your own judgment and official sources for marine safety. Not affiliated with NOAA, NDBC, CDIP, or Scripps.

Screenshots

FOX 8 Weather3 screens
Wave Whisperer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FOX 8 Weather at none against Wave Whisperer's 1. FOX 8 Weather also leads on ratings volume (18K vs 2) and device support (3 vs 1). Wave Whisperer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 66%). On price and iOS requirement 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. Wave Whisperer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. FOX 8 Weather asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Wave Whisperer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FOX 8 Weather has 18K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of FOX 8 Weather's written reviews are positive against 100% of Wave Whisperer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FOX 8 Weather ships an update every 2 months, Wave Whisperer monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
FOX 8 Weather versus Wave Whisperer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFOX 8 WeatherWave Whisperer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (18K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings18K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size259 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGray Television Group, Inc.In the Moment Technology LLC

Customer experience

FOX 8 Weather

All ratings18,283 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral2.6%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews106 reviews
Positive66.0%
Neutral8.5%
Negative25.5%

Wave Whisperer

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

FOX 8 Weather

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Radar not working or showing outdated information
  • App crashing or freezing
  • Location defaulting to wrong area
  • Videos not playing or having no audio

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improve radar functionality and visibility
  • Reduce ads and pop-ups
  • Add more customization options
  • Improve audio and video playback

Wave Whisperer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

FOX 8 Weather

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Wave Whisperer

One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$1.99

Questions

Is FOX 8 Weather free?
FOX 8 Weather is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Wave Whisperer free?
Wave Whisperer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, FOX 8 Weather or Wave Whisperer?
Wave Whisperer is rated higher. FOX 8 Weather averages 4.8 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while Wave Whisperer averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do FOX 8 Weather or Wave Whisperer have ads?
FOX 8 Weather shows ads; Wave Whisperer does not.
Which is updated more often, FOX 8 Weather or Wave Whisperer?
FOX 8 Weather ships an update every 2 months, and Wave Whisperer monthly. Most recently, FOX 8 Weather was updated on November 9, 2026 and Wave Whisperer on October 31, 2026.

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