# Surf vs Swell Intel

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 (#122 vs unranked). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surf | Swell Intel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (940 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-forecastcom/id6450721636/reviews) | **[5.0 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swell-intel/id6747780816/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **940** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 87.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#122** | — |
| Size | 138 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Meteo365 Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/661723505) | [Swell Intel LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1822856502) |

## What reviewers say

### Surf

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

**Currently charting:** #122 Top Free · Weather, #123 Top Grossing · 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


### Swell Intel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swell-intel/id6747780816)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Swell Intel Premium Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Swell Intel Premium Plus | $2.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*