Comparison

Swellify vs ONDA Surf

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

Head to head
About

Swellify

Get personalized surf recommendations and real-time forecasts tailored to your skill level. Receive timely notifications for your favorite spots and plan your surf sessions with confidence.

Highlights
  • Personalized surf recommendations
  • Customizable skill level settings
  • Daily surf updates
  • Email and push notifications
  • Save favorite surf spots
  • Hourly custom ratings
Features
Read full description

Swellify is where you find surf that's perfect for you. With personalized surf recommendations, you'll always know when and where to hit the waves. Swellify demystifies surf forecasts once and for all. It's simple and intuitive, anyone can get started instantly with just a three step setup. Get the best surf in 2026 with: Personalized Surf Recommendations - Whether you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced surfer, finding the best surf for you is a snap. Set your skill level and let Swellify do the rest. Notifications That Matter - Receive daily updates about the best surf for you at all your favorite spots. We know you're busy, so Swellify sends you email and push notifications ensuring you're always in the know, even if you forget to check. Goodbye, FOMO! Save Your Faves - Keeping an eye on your favorite surf spots has never been easier. Swellify keeps the surf at your fingertips, whether it's your local home breaks or your favorite road trip destinations. Your Surf, Your Schedule - Completely custom ratings for every hour of every day at every spot. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, Swellify empowers you to surf with confidence knowing the conditions match with your skill level. What surfers are saying: "I am loving the App, push notifications is a game changer. It's so much easier to quickly check and see is it good surf can I be bothered or not." - Suresh “Every time I get an email, I head down to Lyall Bay and there’s surf!” - Vicky “I’m liking the emails. Nice and short summaries and gets me amped for a surf.” - Matthew “Loving the email alerts! Set them for Riversdale, Lyall and Tbay and are working well :)” - Antony Swellify revolutionizes the way you stay connected to the waves. Download now to experience Swellify, your ultimate surf companion. By using Swellify you acknowledge that you have read, understand and accept Swellify's Terms of Service (https://www.swellify.app/legal/terms), Privacy Policy (https://www.swellify.app/legal/privacy) the App Store Terms of Service (https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/).

About

ONDA Surf

Get real-time surf conditions and live video feeds of local breaks. This app provides hyper-local forecasts, an AI assistant for expert advice, and tools to log your sessions and connect with other surfers.

Highlights
  • Live video spot checks
  • Hour-by-hour surf forecasts
  • AI surf assistant
  • Session logging
  • Crew chat
  • Favorite breaks alerts
Currently charting
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ONDA is your gateway to the most accurate surf forecasts and live reports at your NorCal surf spots, as well as the connection to your local surf community. Plan your sessions, check in on real-time conditions, view video streams at local spots, track your sessions, and share with your crew. ONDA is more than just a surf forecasting app - it makes surf reports, forecasts, and planning your sessions an experience! - Get Accurate Surf Reports & Forecasts - Connect to the most accurate, visual surf reports and forecasts at your local spots, good for all levels of surfers. - Join the Lineup - Track and share sessions, follow your friends as well as local breaks, and stay informed with news from the surf community. - Film the Waves and Get Paid - Earn income by streaming your local breaks. - Stay Informed - Enjoy surf news and community feeds relevant to your local area. - Know When It’s Firing - Get alerts when your local spots are lighting up or when the conditions are coming together. - Learn & Have Fun - Learn more about your local breaks and what makes for ideal surf conditions. Share with your friends and have fun planning sessions with your crew.

Screenshots

Swellify4 screens
ONDA Surf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ONDA Surf at none against Swellify's 2. ONDA Surf also leads on chart position (#86 vs unranked) and ratings volume (14 vs 4). Swellify's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 10 days). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. Swellify sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. ONDA Surf asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Swellify against 5.0 for ONDA Surf. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 14 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Swellify ships an update every 5 days, ONDA Surf every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Swellify versus ONDA Surf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSwellifyONDA Surf
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (14 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings414 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank—#86 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB117 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperSwellify LimitedOnda Sports Inc

Customer experience

Swellify

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ONDA Surf

All ratings14 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Swellify

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Annual$39.991 Year
None

ONDA Surf

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Swellify free?
Swellify is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ONDA Surf free?
ONDA Surf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Swellify or ONDA Surf?
Swellify and ONDA Surf are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 14 ratings respectively.
Do Swellify or ONDA Surf have ads?
Neither Swellify nor ONDA Surf shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Swellify or ONDA Surf?
Swellify ships an update every 5 days, and ONDA Surf every 10 days. Most recently, Swellify was updated on October 24, 2026 and ONDA Surf on October 28, 2026.

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