Comparison

Surf vs Swell Intel

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

Swell Intel

Get detailed surf forecasts, real-time conditions, and smart alerts to find the best waves. Plan your surf trips with up to 16-day forecasts and easily scan spot conditions at a glance. Receive notifications when conditions meet your standards, ensuring you never miss a good session.

Highlights
  • Detailed surf forecasts up to 16 days
  • Real-time wave height, swell, and wind data
  • Smart alerts for optimal surf conditions
  • At-a-glance spot condition ratings
  • Detailed forecast charts (swell, wind, tide)
  • Find and save nearby surf spots
Features
Read full description

Swell Intel gives you everything you need to score the best waves — detailed surf forecasts, real-time conditions, and smart alerts that tell you when to go. Check the Conditions - Wave height, swell direction, wind speed, and surf quality ratings for every surf spot across the US and Puerto Rico. Forecasts extend up to 16 days so you can plan trips with confidence. At-a-Glance Conditions- Spot cards show morning, midday, and evening ratings at a glance — quickly scan which spots are firing and when the window is best without tapping into every forecast. Surf Alerts - Set a minimum condition rating on your favorite spots and get notified by push notification or email when conditions meet your standards. Never miss a good session again. Detailed Forecast Charts - Dive into swell period and direction, wind barbs, wave energy, tide charts, and sunrise/sunset — all the data you need in one place. Find Nearby Spots - Discover surf spots near your with real-time conditions and ratings. Save your favorites for quick access. Free to Use, More with Premium - Free: 5-day forecast, 5 nearby spots, 5 favorites, 1 alert - Premium Plus: 16-day forecast, 15 spots, 15 favorites, 10 alerts Terms of service - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Surf4 screens
Swell Intel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Swell Intel at none against Surf's shown. Swell Intel also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 6 weeks) and review sentiment (100% vs 87%). Surf's advantage is ratings volume (940 vs 11) and chart position (#114 vs unranked). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Swell Intel sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 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 5.0 for Swell Intel. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf has 940 ratings behind it against 11, 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 Swell Intel's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surf ships an update every 6 weeks, Swell Intel every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Surf versus Swell Intel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurfSwell Intel
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (940 ratings)5.0 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings940 — better11
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#114 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size138 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMeteo365 Ltd.Swell Intel LLC

Customer experience

Surf

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

Swell Intel

All ratings11 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 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

Swell Intel

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
2 purchases

Swell Intel

Subscriptions2
  • Swell Intel Premium Monthly14 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Swell Intel Premium Plus14 Days trial$2.991 Month

Questions

Is Surf free?
Surf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Swell Intel free?
Swell Intel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Surf or Swell Intel?
Swell Intel is rated higher. Surf averages 4.9 out of 5 from 940 ratings, while Swell Intel averages 5.0 from 11 ratings.
Do Surf or Swell Intel have ads?
Surf shows ads; Swell Intel does not.
Which is updated more often, Surf or Swell Intel?
Surf ships an update every 6 weeks, and Swell Intel every 6 days. Most recently, Surf was updated on October 18, 2026 and Swell Intel on October 6, 2026.

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