Comparison

PredictCurrent vs The Buoy

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

Head to head
About

PredictCurrent

Navigate coastal waters with detailed tidal and ocean current maps. Access 10-day forecasts for currents, wind, waves, and sea temperatures. Essential for safe marine planning and exploration.

Highlights
  • Ultra-high-resolution 100m tidal current maps
  • 400m and 4km global coastline coverage
  • 10-day animated forecasts for currents, wind, and waves
  • Hourly tide chart data
  • Wind-against-current interaction analysis
  • Sea temperature tracking
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Navigate coastal adventures with precision using real-time tidal current data from PredictWind. PredictCurrent delivers ultra-high-resolution 100m tidal current maps, plus 400m and 4km maps covering 90% of global coastlines. It also includes full ocean current coverage, empowering fishermen, sailors, and coastal explorers with essential tools for current tracking, tide planning, and marine navigation. Developed by PredictWind’s expert oceanographers, trusted globally for industry-leading forecasting, PredictCurrent supports confident and safe coastal navigation for boating, fishing, sailing, and kayaking. Why PredictCurrent - Unrivalled Precision: Ultra-high-resolution 100m tidal current maps provide unmatched detail for coastal tide planning, ideal for fishing, sailing, or paddle sports. Also includes 400m and 4km resolution maps. - Trusted Expertise: Built by PredictWind, pioneers in marine and ocean current forecasting, delivering professional-grade data. - Comprehensive Tracking: Monitor tidal currents, ocean currents, winds, waves, and sea temperatures with animated maps and hourly tide chart data for 10 days. - Coastal Navigation: Join fishermen, sailors, kayakers, and coastal explorers worldwide who rely on PredictWind’s marine weather and current data for informed navigation. Key Features - Ultra-High-Resolution 100m Tidal Current Maps: Visualise intricate nearshore water current movements with clarity, ideal for coastal navigation, route planning, and safety. - High-Resolution 400m & 4km Maps: Access tide and ocean current coverage for 90% of global coastlines, seamlessly integrated with live ocean current data. - Advanced Dashboard: Analyse wind-against-current interactions, wave heights, tide cycles, and directions using accurate ECMWF wind forecasts. - Animated 10-Day Forecasts: View dynamic tidal currents, ocean currents, wind, waves, and sea temperature forecasts on interactive marine maps. - Detailed Data Tables: Access hourly data on current speed and direction, plus alerts for wind-against-current situations. Tailored for fisherman, sailors, kayakers, and coastal adventurers, PredictCurrent offers essential tools for safe marine planning—backed by PredictWind’s proven ocean data and current tracking accuracy. Start with a 14-day free trial. Access ultra-high-resolution tidal current data, tide charts, ocean current forecasts, wind, waves, and sea temperature tools for your next coastal journey. Terms & Conditions: https://www.predictcurrent.com/terms-and-conditions Privacy Policy: https://www.predictcurrent.com/privacy-policy

About

The Buoy

Get real-time ocean swell updates including size, period, and direction. This app combines buoy data with surf forecasts to help you plan your sessions and save your favorite conditions.

Highlights
  • Real-time swell data
  • Swell size, period, and direction
  • Surf forecast integration
  • Save favorite conditions
  • Lock screen widget
Features
Read full description

The Buoy is the simplest way to take the pulse of the ocean. Thanks to data provided by services like the NOAA in the US, Cerema (Candhis) in France, Channel Coastal Observatory in the UK/Ireland, Portus in Spain and Hidrografico in Portugal, the buoy allows you to know in real-time the swell conditions around you: size, period, and direction. But The Buoy goes even further. We cross-reference this data with surf forecasts so you can easily plan your sessions. You can also save your favorite conditions to know exactly when a spot is working according to YOUR criteria. Our widget, very easy to use, allows you to have the conditions at your favourite buoy in real-time on your iPhone's locked screen. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

PredictCurrent4 screens
The Buoy4 screens

Verdict

The call

PredictCurrent and The Buoy both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 97% of The Buoy's written reviews are positive against 57% of PredictCurrent's. The Buoy also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). PredictCurrent's advantage is ratings volume (268 vs 2) and chart position (#83 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. PredictCurrent sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $15.00 per month and The Buoy sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 — 4.5 for PredictCurrent against 4.5 for The Buoy. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PredictCurrent has 268 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of PredictCurrent's written reviews are positive against 97% of The Buoy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PredictCurrent ships an update monthly, The Buoy every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
PredictCurrent versus The Buoy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPredictCurrentThe Buoy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (268 ratings)4.5 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews56.6% of reviews97.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings268 — better2
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#83 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPredictWind LimitedThomas Cailhol

Customer experience

PredictCurrent

All ratings255 ratings
Positive85.9%
Neutral2.7%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews76 reviews
Positive56.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative43.4%

The Buoy

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive97.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.9%

Bugs and requests

PredictCurrent

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Unable to add location error messages despite valid coordinates
  • Location setup fails to respond or complete
  • Password not saved correctly in database, preventing login
  • Account creation fails with character handling errors
  • App crashes when setting locations
Show 3 more
  • Free trial access inconsistent across devices
  • iPad version blocks access to charts despite iPhone trial access
  • Data unavailable errors at valid deep water locations

Requested features

9 requests
  • Extended forecast data for full 24-hour next day coverage
  • Smaller time increment stepping (sub-hourly) for racing
  • Exact tide turn time information beyond hourly data
  • Legend/symbol guide for app indicators
  • Improved coastal and estuarine modeling
Show 4 more
  • Better 100m resolution coverage beyond UK Solent region
  • Cross-platform synchronization between iPhone and iPad
  • Offline access to saved locations
  • Multi-language support (German, French, etc.)

The Buoy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

PredictCurrent

Subscriptions5
  • PredictCurrent Pro 1-Month14 Days trial$15.001 Month
  • PredictCurrent Pro 3-Monthly14 Days trial$29.003 Months
  • PredictCurrent Pro 3-Monthly3 Days trial$29.003 Months
Show 2 more
  • PredictCurrent Pro 3-Monthly7 Days trial$29.003 Months
  • PredictCurrent Pro Annual14 Days trial$99.001 Year
6 purchases

The Buoy

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly wax supply$2.991 Month
  • Monthly wax supply$3.991 Month
  • Monthly wax supply$8.991 Month
One-time3
  • Wax supply$2.99
  • Wax supply$3.99
  • Wax supply$8.99

Questions

Is PredictCurrent free?
PredictCurrent is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Buoy free?
The Buoy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PredictCurrent or The Buoy?
The Buoy is rated higher. PredictCurrent averages 4.5 out of 5 from 268 ratings, while The Buoy averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do PredictCurrent or The Buoy have ads?
Neither PredictCurrent nor The Buoy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PredictCurrent or The Buoy?
PredictCurrent ships an update monthly, and The Buoy every 3 weeks. Most recently, PredictCurrent was updated on October 24, 2026 and The Buoy on October 24, 2026.

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