# Hanalei vs Wavemaps

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 (#149 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Wavemaps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Hanalei asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hanalei | Wavemaps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (197 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanalei/id6473707191/reviews) | [4.9 (186 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wavemaps-wave-forecasts/id6749452038/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **197** | 186 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 87.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#149** |
| Size | 6 MB | 119 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zoltan Horvath](https://appshunter.io/developer/1453131075) | [Miguel Canals](https://appshunter.io/developer/1830493078) |

## What reviewers say

### Hanalei

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanalei/id6473707191)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Wavemaps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wavemaps-wave-forecasts/id6749452038)

**Currently charting:** #149 Top Grossing · Weather (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wavemaps Pro | $7.99 | per month |
| Wavemaps Pro | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*