Comparison

Surf vs The Buoy

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

Head to head
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/

About

The Buoy

Get real-time ocean swell updates including size, period, and direction. This app combines buoy data with surf forecasts to help you plan your sessions and save your favorite conditions.

Highlights
  • Real-time swell data
  • Swell size, period, and direction
  • Surf forecast integration
  • Save favorite conditions
  • Lock screen widget
Features
Read full description

The Buoy is the simplest way to take the pulse of the ocean. Thanks to data provided by services like the NOAA in the US, Cerema (Candhis) in France, Channel Coastal Observatory in the UK/Ireland, Portus in Spain and Hidrografico in Portugal, the buoy allows you to know in real-time the swell conditions around you: size, period, and direction. But The Buoy goes even further. We cross-reference this data with surf forecasts so you can easily plan your sessions. You can also save your favorite conditions to know exactly when a spot is working according to YOUR criteria. Our widget, very easy to use, allows you to have the conditions at your favourite buoy in real-time on your iPhone's locked screen. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Surf4 screens
The Buoy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: The Buoy at none against Surf's shown. The Buoy also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (97% vs 86%). Surf's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (997 vs 2). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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. Surf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and The Buoy sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Surf holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf has 997 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of Surf's written reviews are positive against 97% of The Buoy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surf ships an update every 6 weeks, The Buoy every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Surf versus The Buoy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurfThe Buoy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (997 ratings) — better4.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews86.4% of reviews97.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings997 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#102 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size138 MB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMeteo365 Ltd.Thomas Cailhol

Customer experience

Surf

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

The Buoy

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive97.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.9%

Bugs and requests

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

The Buoy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Surf

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

The Buoy

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly wax supply$2.991 Month
  • Monthly wax supply$3.991 Month
  • Monthly wax supply$8.991 Month
One-time3
  • Wax supply$2.99
  • Wax supply$3.99
  • Wax supply$8.99

Questions

Is Surf free?
Surf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Buoy free?
The Buoy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Surf or The Buoy?
Surf is rated higher. Surf averages 4.9 out of 5 from 997 ratings, while The Buoy averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do Surf or The Buoy have ads?
Surf shows ads; The Buoy does not.
Which is updated more often, Surf or The Buoy?
Surf ships an update every 6 weeks, and The Buoy every 3 weeks. Most recently, Surf was updated on October 25, 2026 and The Buoy on October 25, 2026.

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