Comparison

Wave Day vs Flow Now

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

Head to head
About

Wave Day

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
Read full description

Surf forecasts tell you what the ocean might do. Wave Day helps you understand what those conditions mean for you — at each individual spot. Wave Day combines detailed surf forecasting with a personal Surf Log that learns from the sessions you actually surf. Save a session and Wave Day stores the conditions from that exact time window. As your history grows, it compares those sessions with upcoming forecasts and identifies the conditions that have worked best for you at that specific spot. When similar conditions are expected again, Wave Day can notify you with the spot, day and time that best match your own surfing history. YOUR SURF. YOUR SPOTS. YOUR CONDITIONS. Generic forecasts often classify surfers as beginner, intermediate or advanced. Wave Day takes a different approach. Your ideal conditions are personal — and they can change from one beach to the next. The same swell, wind or tide can produce a great session at one spot and a poor session nearby. That is why Wave Day learns by spot. The more Surf Logs you save, the more useful your personal history becomes. PERSONAL SURF LOG After a session, save it to the corresponding spot and rate your experience. Wave Day keeps the conditions from that period so you can understand what made the session work. • Save sessions by surf spot • Preserve the conditions from each session • Rate your sessions • Compare past sessions with future forecasts • Receive alerts when matching conditions return • Build a different profile for every spot DETAILED SURF FORECAST AT A GLANCE See the forecast by hour together with key ocean and weather information, including wave conditions, wind, tides, water temperature and weather. Wave energy is also included — an important metric for experienced and professional surfers who want more context than wave height alone. SEE HOW WIND AND WAVES HIT THE SPOT A satellite view of each location helps you understand the geography of the beach and how forecast conditions may interact with it. View the spot together with wind and wave direction by time range, making it easier to understand why the same values can behave very differently from one beach to another. SURF SPOTS AROUND THE WORLD Add spots anywhere in the world by searching by name, entering coordinates, or dropping a pin on the map. Save favorites, check upcoming conditions, create a Surf Log for each location, and discover suggested spots worldwide. BUILT FOR EVERY LEVEL — WITHOUT REDUCING YOU TO A LEVEL Wave Day can be useful whether you are starting out, surfing regularly, competing, or practicing another water sport. Instead of assuming that every beginner, intermediate or advanced surfer wants the same conditions, Wave Day learns from your own sessions and from each individual spot. GLOBAL AND PERSONAL Wave Day supports 4 languages, adapts automatically to your device language, and also lets you change language manually. Choose the measurement system and metrics that work for you. You can also discover surfers connected with Wave Day, together with partners, sponsors and brands that are part of the community. UNLOCK WAVE DAY PREMIUM Get the complete Wave Day experience with: • Personalized surf alerts based on your Surf Log • Unlimited Surf Log sessions • 10-day surf forecast • Smart surf-spot suggestions • Unlimited favorite spots • Full access to tools designed to help you find better sessions The value of Wave Day grows with every session you save. Check the forecast. Surf the spot. Save the session. Let Wave Day learn what works for you. Try Wave Day Premium free for 3 days. SUBSCRIPTION POLICY After the free trial period, payment will be charged to your App Store account. The subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel your subscription from your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Flow Now

Get live river flow readings directly on your iPhone's Home Screen. This app displays real-time cubic feet per second (CFS) data from USGS gauges, helping you decide when to hit the water.

Highlights
  • Home Screen widget with live CFS
  • Thousands of gauges searchable by name or state
  • Nearby gauge selection
  • Data directly from USGS
  • Gauge name and last updated time
  • Clean, readable display
Features
Read full description

No account. No subscription. No ads. Just the number you need before you go. Flow Now puts live CFS readings from USGS river gauges on your iPhone Home Screen. Glance at your phone, see the flow, grab your boat (or your rod). HOW IT WORKS Pick your gauge, add the widget, done. Flow Now pulls data straight from official USGS monitoring stations — the same real-time readings pros and guides rely on — and displays the current discharge in cubic feet per second, along with the gauge name and when it was last updated. MADE FOR PEOPLE WHO CHECK THE FLOW • Kayakers and rafters deciding if today's the day • Fly anglers timing the hatch around runoff • Anyone who lives near, works on, or just loves a river WHAT YOU GET • Home Screen widget with live CFS from any USGS gauge • Search thousands of gauges by river name or state, or select from nearby gauges. • Data straight from the source — no middleman, no delays • Clean, readable at a glance, even in the truck at the put-in WHAT YOU WON'T GET • No account signup • No subscription • No ads • No "premium tier" hiding the features you actually wanted You pay once. You own it. Flow Now uses publicly available data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Flow Now is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USGS.

Screenshots

Wave Day4 screens
Flow Now2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Flow Now at none against Wave Day's 2. Flow Now also leads on ads (none vs shown). Wave Day's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.5). On price, ratings volume 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. Wave Day sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Flow Now asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Wave Day holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 5 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Wave Day versus Flow Now: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWave DayFlow Now
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better4.6 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings45 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB1 MB
Age rating+174+
DeveloperMichel OdremanCOREY ADAM YASPAN

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Wave Day

Subscriptions2
  • Level One Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Level One Yearly$39.991 Year
None

Flow Now

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Wave Day free?
Wave Day is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Flow Now free?
Flow Now is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Wave Day or Flow Now?
Wave Day is rated higher. Wave Day averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Flow Now averages 4.6 from 5 ratings.
Do Wave Day or Flow Now have ads?
Wave Day shows ads; Flow Now does not.

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