Comparison

Wave Chicken Surf Forecast vs Wavemaps

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

Head to head
About

Wave Chicken Surf Forecast

Get free 10-day surf, wind, and tide forecasts for surf spots worldwide. Access detailed information for over 176 countries.

Highlights
  • 10-day surf forecasts
  • Wind forecasts
  • Tide forecasts
  • Global surf break coverage
  • 176+ countries supported
Features
Read full description

Free 10 day surf, wind, tide & more forecasts for thousands of surf breaks in over 176 countries!

About

Wavemaps

This app provides detailed wave, surf, and wind forecasts for water enthusiasts and marine professionals. It offers global and nearshore wave modeling, real-time ocean data, and interactive 3D maps to visualize conditions. Users can save favorite locations and access premium features for advanced analysis.

Highlights
  • Global and nearshore wave forecasts
  • Custom ultra high-resolution wave models
  • Thousands of worldwide locations
  • Real-time ocean conditions from buoys
  • Interactive 3D-capable maps
  • Wave-seabed interaction visualization
  • Professional tools and extended forecasts
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Wavemaps — A Professional Wave Forecasting Platform Wavemaps is a professional wave, wind, and marine forecasting platform built for people who spend serious time on or near the water. Surfers, fishers, sailors, captains, lifeguards, marine engineers, and coastal professionals run on the same system: the world's leading wave and marine weather models, refined into hyperlocal forecasts up to 16 days out. MULTI-MODEL COMPARISON Detailed wave forecasts compared side by side across leading global models, including ECMWF and GFS. Read the agreement between models at a glance and make calls with confidence. WAVEMAPS TIME MACHINE Visualize wave and wind forecast maps from 1979 to the present. Replay historical swells, storms, and seasons — and save them as memories to revisit. WAVEMAPS ENERGY COMPASS Our signature swell-direction visualization. See where wave energy is coming from, how it's distributed across components, and how it aligns with the coast you care about. ADVANCED SWELL COMPONENT ANALYSIS Decompose every wave forecast into its swell and wind-wave components — height, period, and direction for each. Know exactly which swell is doing the work. WAVEMAPS HD Ultra-high-resolution nearshore wave forecasts powered by our custom Wavemaps HD engine. For the first time in a forecasting platform, see how waves interact with the seabed — bathymetry, refraction, and shoaling rendered the way you'd see them on a research instrument. Available only in certain regions. WIND FORECASTS High-resolution wind forecasts including gusts, sustained speeds, and direction. Identify offshore, side-shore, and onshore conditions for any spot. THOUSANDS OF LOCATIONS Browse surf spots, fishing zones, and wave buoys worldwide. Save your favorites for personalized forecasts. Add your own spots and pull wave forecasts anywhere in the world. INTERACTIVE 3D MAPS Explore ultra-high-resolution maps of ocean and weather conditions across nearshore and offshore areas. Smooth, GPU-driven 3D visualization helps you understand current conditions and how they're changing over time. PROFESSIONAL FEATURES Premium subscriptions unlock advanced capabilities, extended forecast ranges, and deeper data analysis for users who need traceable, decision-grade ocean intelligence. Terms of Service: https://www.wavemaps.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.wavemaps.com/privacy

Screenshots

Wave Chicken Surf Forecast3 screens
Wavemaps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Wavemaps at 4.9 against Wave Chicken Surf Forecast's 4.0. Wavemaps also leads on ratings volume (186 vs 3) and review sentiment (88% vs 67%). Wave Chicken Surf Forecast's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Wavemaps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Wave Chicken Surf Forecast asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Wavemaps holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wavemaps has 186 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Wave Chicken Surf Forecast's written reviews are positive against 88% of Wavemaps's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wave Chicken Surf Forecast ships an update monthly, Wavemaps every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Wave Chicken Surf Forecast versus Wavemaps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWave Chicken Surf ForecastWavemaps
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (3 ratings)4.9 (186 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews87.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3186 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#184 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB119 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperJoshua ParryMiguel Canals

Customer experience

Wave Chicken Surf Forecast

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Wavemaps

All ratings186 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral0.5%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%

In-app purchases

None

Wave Chicken Surf Forecast

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Wavemaps

Subscriptions2
  • Wavemaps Pro7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Wavemaps Pro7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Wave Chicken Surf Forecast free?
Wave Chicken Surf Forecast is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Wavemaps free?
Wavemaps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Wave Chicken Surf Forecast or Wavemaps?
Wavemaps is rated higher. Wave Chicken Surf Forecast averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Wavemaps averages 4.9 from 186 ratings.
Do Wave Chicken Surf Forecast or Wavemaps have ads?
Neither Wave Chicken Surf Forecast nor Wavemaps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wave Chicken Surf Forecast or Wavemaps?
Wave Chicken Surf Forecast ships an update monthly, and Wavemaps every 3 months. Most recently, Wave Chicken Surf Forecast was updated on September 10, 2026 and Wavemaps on September 23, 2026.

Other comparisons