Comparison

Surf vs Marla Blue

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

Marla Blue

Plan your next underwater adventure with detailed marine weather forecasts. Get AI-powered visibility predictions, swell, wind, tide, and temperature data for over 800 dive spots. Receive algae bloom alerts and real-time viz reports from a community of divers.

Highlights
  • Underwater visibility forecasts (AI & satellite)
  • Swell, wind, tides, water temperature
  • Algae bloom alerts
  • Real-time viz reports from divers
  • 800+ dive spots (UK, Ireland, Australia, California)
  • Map-based spot selection
Features
Read full description

Dive smarter with Marla, the ultimate marine weather app for divers! Whether you’re a scuba diver, freediver, spearo or snorkeler, Marla gives you everything you need to plan your next underwater adventure. Check among 800+ dive spots across the UK, Ireland, Australia & California or tap anywhere on the map to get: - Underwater visibility forecasts powered by AI and satellite data - Swell, wind, tides, water temperature & wave conditions - Algae bloom alerts - Real-time viz reports from the growing community of local divers Stop guessing. Download Marla and dive with clarity. Learn more: https://www.marla.blue/how-marla-works Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://marla.blue/privacy

Screenshots

Surf4 screens
Marla Blue4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Marla Blue at every 4 days against Surf's every 6 weeks. Marla Blue also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 87%). Surf's advantage is ratings volume (940 vs 4) and chart position (#116 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 Marla Blue sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Surf against 4.8 for Marla Blue. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf has 940 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Surf's written reviews are positive against 100% of Marla Blue's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surf ships an update every 6 weeks, Marla Blue every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Surf versus Marla Blue: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurfMarla Blue
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (940 ratings) — better4.8 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews87.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings940 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#116 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size138 MB93 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMeteo365 Ltd.Ocean AI

Customer experience

Surf

All ratings940 ratings
Positive99.3%
Neutral0.1%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews124 reviews
Positive87.1%
Neutral3.2%
Negative9.7%

Marla Blue

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Marla Blue

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
3 purchases

Marla Blue

Subscriptions3
  • Marla Blue Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Dive Season Pass (6 months)3 Days trial$34.996 Months
  • Marla Annual Subscription7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Surf free?
Surf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Marla Blue free?
Marla Blue is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Surf or Marla Blue?
Surf is rated higher. Surf averages 4.9 out of 5 from 940 ratings, while Marla Blue averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.
Do Surf or Marla Blue have ads?
Both Surf and Marla Blue show ads.
Which is updated more often, Surf or Marla Blue?
Surf ships an update every 6 weeks, and Marla Blue every 4 days. Most recently, Surf was updated on October 16, 2026 and Marla Blue on October 18, 2026.

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