Swellify vs Pipeline
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Personalized surf recommendations
- Customizable skill level settings
- Daily surf updates
- Email and push notifications
- Save favorite surf spots
- Hourly custom ratings
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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/).
Pipeline
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Pipeline gives you one word: FIRING, DECENT, or FLAT. Not a wall of numbers. Not five competing forecast sites disagreeing with each other. One honest call for your break, right now — built by reading buoys, swell models, and wind data the same way a local would, so you know before you load the car. THE CALL, NOT JUST THE DATA Every other surf app hands you charts and lets you guess. Pipeline does the guessing for you — and tells you when it's not sure. If it's FLAT, we say FLAT. We'd rather be right than sound exciting. WORKS EVERYWHERE THERE'S SURF 186 breaks across the US, Central America, Europe, Africa, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and beyond — not just the usual California spots. Breaks near you show up first, so setting your home break takes seconds. CAN'T FIND YOUR BREAK? Tell us. Pipeline watches the closest listed break for you in the meantime, and the spots people ask for are the spots we add next. ON YOUR WRIST Pipeline's Apple Watch app shows the same call without pulling out your phone — check it paddling out, check it from bed. SHARE THE CALL See something worth paddling out for? Share it in one tap — your friends get the real forecast and an invite to meet you at the break. FIRING ALERTS Get a push the moment your home break turns on — one alert when it's on, nothing on flat days. PIPELINE PRO ($4.99/mo or $39.99/yr with a 7-day free trial, or $99.99 once for lifetime access) FIRING alerts for every break you've saved · Full 7-day forecast · Nearby breaks · Unlimited saved spots Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings. Pipeline provides forecast information only. Always check local conditions and exercise personal judgment before entering the water. Support: hello@pipelinesurf.app Terms of Use (EULA): https://pipelinesurf.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://pipelinesurf.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
Swellify and Pipeline are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Swellify sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Pipeline sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Swellify ships an update every 5 days, Pipeline every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Swellify | Pipeline |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 9 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 125 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Swellify Limited | Nice People Collective LLC |
In-app purchases
Swellify
- Monthly$5.991 Month
- Annual$39.991 Year
Pipeline
- Pipeline Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
- Pipeline Pro Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Pipeline Lifetime$99.99









