Comparison

Hanalei vs Wavemaps

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

Head to head
About

Hanalei

Navigate Hanalei and Kauai's North Shore with real-time data on river levels, weather, road conditions, and water quality. Plan your beach visits, surf sessions, and hikes with tidal predictions, surf forecasts, and essential contact information.

Highlights
  • River gauge monitoring
  • Weather forecasts and advisories
  • Water quality advisories
  • Road work information
  • Tidal predictions
  • Surf conditions
  • Local recommendations
Features
Read full description

This app was crafted with aloha to help navigate travel to and from Hanalei with ease using real-time and historical data, all in one place. - Hanalei and North Shore River Gauge Monitoring: Stay updated with real-time river level information for safe travel and hiking. - Flood visualization: Learn and understand how the flood on interactive surface - Weather Forecast: Obtain timely forecast from the National Weather Service to ensure safe and informed travel planning. - Weather Advisories: Receive immediate National Weather Service updates to plan your journey accordingly. - Water Quality Advisories: Get real-time updates on water quality to ensure safe swimming, surfing, paddling and other water activities. - Kauai Road Work Information: Get the latest updates on road conditions and construction work to avoid delays. - Hanalei Bay: Up-to-date tidal predictions for Hanalei Bay to plan your visits or activities with the tides in mind. - Hanalei Bay Beach and Surf Conditions: Real-time wave height, wind, and surf forecasts, along with water/air temperature, humidity, UV index, and sunrise/sunset times. - Essential Contacts: Easy access to important phone numbers for assistance and inquiries. - Real-Time and Historical Data: Comprehensive insights combining current data and historical trends for informed decision-making. - DNLR Updates: Receive real-time DNLR State Park updates on park closures, permits, and conservation efforts for safe Kauai planning. - Locals Tab: Explore Kaua‘i’s North Shore with the Locals tab, showcasing local eats, nonprofits, cultural events, and outdoor adventures. - App and Widget support.

About

Wavemaps

This app provides detailed wave, surf, and wind forecasts for water enthusiasts and marine professionals. It offers global and nearshore wave modeling, real-time ocean data, and interactive 3D maps to visualize conditions. Users can save favorite locations and access premium features for advanced analysis.

Highlights
  • Global and nearshore wave forecasts
  • Custom ultra high-resolution wave models
  • Thousands of worldwide locations
  • Real-time ocean conditions from buoys
  • Interactive 3D-capable maps
  • Wave-seabed interaction visualization
  • Professional tools and extended forecasts
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Wavemaps — A Professional Wave Forecasting Platform Wavemaps is a professional wave, wind, and marine forecasting platform built for people who spend serious time on or near the water. Surfers, fishers, sailors, captains, lifeguards, marine engineers, and coastal professionals run on the same system: the world's leading wave and marine weather models, refined into hyperlocal forecasts up to 16 days out. MULTI-MODEL COMPARISON Detailed wave forecasts compared side by side across leading global models, including ECMWF and GFS. Read the agreement between models at a glance and make calls with confidence. WAVEMAPS TIME MACHINE Visualize wave and wind forecast maps from 1979 to the present. Replay historical swells, storms, and seasons — and save them as memories to revisit. WAVEMAPS ENERGY COMPASS Our signature swell-direction visualization. See where wave energy is coming from, how it's distributed across components, and how it aligns with the coast you care about. ADVANCED SWELL COMPONENT ANALYSIS Decompose every wave forecast into its swell and wind-wave components — height, period, and direction for each. Know exactly which swell is doing the work. WAVEMAPS HD Ultra-high-resolution nearshore wave forecasts powered by our custom Wavemaps HD engine. For the first time in a forecasting platform, see how waves interact with the seabed — bathymetry, refraction, and shoaling rendered the way you'd see them on a research instrument. Available only in certain regions. WIND FORECASTS High-resolution wind forecasts including gusts, sustained speeds, and direction. Identify offshore, side-shore, and onshore conditions for any spot. THOUSANDS OF LOCATIONS Browse surf spots, fishing zones, and wave buoys worldwide. Save your favorites for personalized forecasts. Add your own spots and pull wave forecasts anywhere in the world. INTERACTIVE 3D MAPS Explore ultra-high-resolution maps of ocean and weather conditions across nearshore and offshore areas. Smooth, GPU-driven 3D visualization helps you understand current conditions and how they're changing over time. PROFESSIONAL FEATURES Premium subscriptions unlock advanced capabilities, extended forecast ranges, and deeper data analysis for users who need traceable, decision-grade ocean intelligence. Terms of Service: https://www.wavemaps.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.wavemaps.com/privacy

Screenshots

Hanalei4 screens
Wavemaps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hanalei at none against Wavemaps's 2. Hanalei also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 88%). Wavemaps's advantage is chart position (#152 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume 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. Wavemaps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Hanalei asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Hanalei against 4.9 for Wavemaps. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 197 and 186 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Hanalei's written reviews are positive against 88% of Wavemaps's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hanalei ships an update every 3 weeks, Wavemaps every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Hanalei versus Wavemaps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHanaleiWavemaps
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (197 ratings)4.9 (186 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better87.5% of reviews
Number of ratings197 — better186
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#152 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB119 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZoltan HorvathMiguel Canals

Customer experience

Hanalei

All ratings197 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral0.5%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Wavemaps

All ratings186 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral0.5%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%

In-app purchases

None

Hanalei

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Wavemaps

Subscriptions2
  • Wavemaps Pro7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Wavemaps Pro7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Hanalei free?
Hanalei is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Wavemaps free?
Wavemaps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hanalei or Wavemaps?
Hanalei and Wavemaps are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 197 and 186 ratings respectively.
Do Hanalei or Wavemaps have ads?
Neither Hanalei nor Wavemaps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hanalei or Wavemaps?
Hanalei ships an update every 3 weeks, and Wavemaps every 3 months. Most recently, Hanalei was updated on September 29, 2026 and Wavemaps on September 28, 2026.

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