# Wave Day vs SurfMap

The clearest difference is monetization model: Wave Day at free with in-app purchases against SurfMap's subscription. Wave Day also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5). SurfMap's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 days vs fortnightly). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Wave Day sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and SurfMap sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Wave Day holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SurfMap has 40 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Wave Day's written reviews are positive against 75% of SurfMap's.

Wave Day ships an update fortnightly, SurfMap every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Wave Day | SurfMap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-day-surf-reports/id6469349836/reviews)** | [4.5 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfmap-personalized-forecast/id6749829392/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **40** |
| Positive reviews | **77.8% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 50 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Michel Odreman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1373702916) | [Guillaume Bernos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1557243040) |

## What reviewers say

### Wave Day

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-day-surf-reports/id6469349836)

This app uses AI to predict the best surf conditions based on your past sessions and real-time forecasts. It offers detailed weather, tide, and wave data, with personalized alerts to help you catch the best waves.

**Highlights:** AI-powered surf alerts, Personalized session forecasts, Three-day hourly forecast, Interactive surf map, Unlimited session log, 10-day forecast, Automatic beach suggestions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Level One Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Level One Yearly | $39.99 | per year |


### SurfMap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfmap-personalized-forecast/id6749829392)

This app uses AI to provide personalized surf forecasts based on your skill level and preferred spots. It offers an interactive map for viewing conditions and custom alerts to never miss a great session.

**Highlights:** AI-powered personalized forecasts, Interactive map with live conditions, 7-day surf planning, Customizable alerts, Tide and crowd level tracking, Skill-level adaptation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plan | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Plan | $6.99 | per month |
| Annual Plan | $34.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $99.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Wave Day free?

Wave Day is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SurfMap free?

SurfMap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Wave Day or SurfMap?

Wave Day is rated higher. Wave Day averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while SurfMap averages 4.5 from 40 ratings.

### Do Wave Day or SurfMap have ads?

Wave Day shows ads; SurfMap does not.

### Which is updated more often, Wave Day or SurfMap?

Wave Day ships an update fortnightly, and SurfMap every 6 days. Most recently, Wave Day was updated on October 24, 2026 and SurfMap on October 24, 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.*