Comparison

Surf vs SurfWaves

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

SurfWaves

This app uses AI to predict optimal surfing conditions, recommending the best beaches and times to surf. It offers real-time visual analysis of beach cameras for wave quality, crowd, wind, and tide, with customizable regional settings and multilingual support.

Highlights
  • AI-powered surf condition forecasting
  • Smart beach and time recommendations
  • Live image analysis of beach cameras
  • Wave quality, crowd, wind, and tide interpretation
  • Customizable regional settings and units
  • Multilingual support
  • Home screen widgets and Apple CarPlay integration
Features
Read full description

SurfWaves is an essential mobile app for surfers of all levels, using Artificial Intelligence to forecast the best surf conditions. Instead of just showing raw data, the app delivers smart recommendations, pointing you to the ideal beach and the best time to hit the water. Now SurfWaves speaks your language and matches your home: choose your country on first launch and the app opens in your language, with a color palette inspired by your region and the units you use every day — height in meters or feet, temperature in °C or °F, and wind in knots. Beach search is more relevant too, filtered by your country. SurfWaves goes beyond the traditional forecast: it features a live image analysis system that automatically interprets real-time beach cameras to visually identify wave quality, crowd, wind, and tide — giving you an instant, reliable read on sea conditions. Reading the forecast is clearer than ever: consistent wave colors across all beaches so you can compare spots at a glance, immediate offshore/onshore wind indication, and AI analysis always front and center, so you can quickly decide whether it's worth paddling out. In favorites, a background map shows exactly the beach you're tracking. With quick access to your favorite spots' conditions through Home Screen widgets, and the convenience of safely checking the forecast via Apple CarPlay on your way to the beach, SurfWaves is the most complete and integrated tool so you never miss a good surf session again. The app also offers multilingual support and is available in: Português (PT) English (EN) Español (ES) 日本語 (JA) Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Surf4 screens
SurfWaves4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: SurfWaves at none against Surf's shown. SurfWaves also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). Surf's advantage is review sentiment (87% vs 75%) and chart position (#101 vs unranked). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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 SurfWaves sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surf ships an update every 6 weeks, SurfWaves weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Surf versus SurfWaves: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurfSurfWaves
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (940 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews87.1% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings940 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#101 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size138 MB80 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperMeteo365 Ltd.Dereck Vicentin Leme

Customer experience

Surf

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

SurfWaves

Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

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

SurfWaves

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

SurfWaves

Subscriptions3
  • mensal R$9.907 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Trimestral R$29.907 Days trial$24.993 Months
  • Anual R$129.907 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Surf free?
Surf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SurfWaves free?
SurfWaves is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Surf or SurfWaves have ads?
Surf shows ads; SurfWaves does not.
Which is updated more often, Surf or SurfWaves?
Surf ships an update every 6 weeks, and SurfWaves weekly. Most recently, Surf was updated on October 13, 2026 and SurfWaves on September 27, 2026.

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