# Surf vs Hanalei

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hanalei at none against Surf's 2. Hanalei also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 87%). Surf's advantage is chart position (#134 vs unranked) and ratings volume (940 vs 197). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Surf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Hanalei asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Surf against 4.9 for Hanalei. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 940 and 197 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Surf's written reviews are positive against 100% of Hanalei's.

Surf ships an update every 6 weeks, Hanalei every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surf | Hanalei |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (940 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-forecastcom/id6450721636/reviews) | [4.9 (197 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanalei/id6473707191/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **940** | 197 |
| Positive reviews | 86.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#134** | — |
| Size | 138 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Meteo365 Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/661723505) | [Zoltan Horvath](https://appshunter.io/developer/1453131075) |

## What reviewers say

### Surf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-forecastcom/id6450721636)

**Currently charting:** #134 Top Grossing · Weather, #162 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Service: Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Service (Yearly) | $34.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌊 Accurate surf forecasts
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🗺️ Comprehensive coverage of locations
- 🔍 Detailed information (swell, wind, tides, etc.)
- 💰 Good value for subscription

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔄 Inconsistent data updates
- 🌊 Wave height/conditions not always accurate
- 🏞️ Missing data for some locations (e.g. Great Lakes)
- 🤔 Confusing or misleading surf ratings/forecasts

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes or freezes on some devices
- Geolocation issues with break markers

**Requested features**

- Ability to manually refresh data
- More detailed tidal/current information
- Expanded location coverage
- Improved accuracy for wave height/conditions


### Hanalei

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanalei/id6473707191)

Navigate Hanalei and Kauai's North Shore with real-time data on river levels, weather, road conditions, and water quality. Plan your beach visits, surf sessions, and hikes with tidal predictions, surf forecasts, and essential contact information.

**Highlights:** River gauge monitoring, Weather forecasts and advisories, Water quality advisories, Road work information, Tidal predictions, Surf conditions, Local recommendations

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Surf free?

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

### Is Hanalei free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Surf or Hanalei?

Surf and Hanalei are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 940 and 197 ratings respectively.

### Do Surf or Hanalei have ads?

Surf shows ads; Hanalei does not.

### Which is updated more often, Surf or Hanalei?

Surf ships an update every 6 weeks, and Hanalei every 3 weeks. Most recently, Surf was updated on September 30, 2026 and Hanalei on September 29, 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.*