Comparison

The Buoy vs Morston

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

Head to head
About

The Buoy

Get real-time ocean swell updates including size, period, and direction. This app combines buoy data with surf forecasts to help you plan your sessions and save your favorite conditions.

Highlights
  • Real-time swell data
  • Swell size, period, and direction
  • Surf forecast integration
  • Save favorite conditions
  • Lock screen widget
Features
Read full description

The Buoy is the simplest way to take the pulse of the ocean. Thanks to data provided by services like the NOAA in the US, Cerema (Candhis) in France, Channel Coastal Observatory in the UK/Ireland, Portus in Spain and Hidrografico in Portugal, the buoy allows you to know in real-time the swell conditions around you: size, period, and direction. But The Buoy goes even further. We cross-reference this data with surf forecasts so you can easily plan your sessions. You can also save your favorite conditions to know exactly when a spot is working according to YOUR criteria. Our widget, very easy to use, allows you to have the conditions at your favourite buoy in real-time on your iPhone's locked screen. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Morston

This app provides real-time and forecasted tide times, wind conditions, and weather data for the North Norfolk coast. It offers live buoy data, customizable timings for boaters, and a modern interface with Apple-inspired design.

Highlights
  • Real-time and forecasted tide times
  • Wind conditions (predicted and real-time)
  • Live Blakeney Pit, harbour & weather buoy data
  • 10-Day weather forecasts
  • Customizable timings for boaters
  • Widget and iWatch support
  • Modern, Apple-inspired UI
Features
Read full description

Discover the free essential app for anyone wanting to sail in Blakeney Pit - and for those who want to explore, boat, or just live along the North Norfolk coast. Morston brings you real-time and forecasted tide times from two selectable tide sources, wind conditions - both predicted and live - weather, and live Blakeney Pit, harbour and weather-buoy data, all in a beautiful, modern interface inspired by Apple's design language. Key Features: Morston Today: - Daily summary of High Tide Sailing window with timings, conditions and summary - Adjustable settings for sailors of different abilities suited to different conditions and different mooring positions Accurate Tide Times - Up-to-date tide predictions for Blakeney Bar, Blakeney Quay, Morston Quay, Brancaster, Wells, Burnham Overy and Cley-next-the-Sea - calibrated to the Blakeney Harbour Association tide tables, with local adjustments based on official guides and local knowledge. - Two week Tide Forecast - Tides on any chosen day up to 10 years ahead - Tide planner and visual Spring/Neap scrollable wave form for planning Forecasts: - 3 Live wind/weather/wave stations from Blakeney Pit - 3 selectable weather forecasts - Apple, Met Office or NOAA GFS - Blended 'Morston Forecast' of live data feeds and weather forecast models Tide Source Choice - Choose your preferred reference feed - Hull Albert Dock or Immingham - and Morston keeps the local times consistent between them. Cockle Race Mode - Everything you need to race a Cockle in Blakeney Harbour: - GPS-surveyed racing buoy locations, mapped on the water - Chalk-board course entry, just like the race officer writes it (13P, 14S, 17S…) - 6-minute start timer with haptic and audio alerts at 3 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds and a final countdown - Live distance, bearing and compass guidance to the next mark — and it keeps working with your phone locked in your pocket - Automatic buoy alerts: a buzz on your wrist as you approach each mark, with the port/starboard rounding at a glance - Full Apple Watch support - the watch stays awake for the whole race with live guidance, lap count and elapsed time - My Boat profile with a live Cockle illustration showing your name, sail number and strake colour - Automatic Race Log, VMG, with shareable results and an iCloud club leaderboard - The complete Stiffkey Cockle Club Racing Programme 2026, with start times, high water and tide heights, built in for members' reference - 4-Hour Sailing Window & 10-Day Weather Forecasts Powered by Apple WeatherKit, Morston delivers detailed forecasts — wind speed, direction, gusts, temperature, plus wave and swell conditions — so you can plan your trips with confidence. Live Harbour Data - Real-time wind, temperature and pressure readings from the Blakeney Pit, Harbour and Blakeney Overfall buoys. Apple Watch Support - Weather, tides, wind and tender-afloat times on your wrist, full Race Mode support, and Siri integration. Widget Support - Home-screen widgets - 3 sizes - with weather, tides, wind and tender-afloat times. Custom Timings for Boaters - See exactly when your tender will be afloat and when to leave to walk out to your boat, with customisable lead times for both. - 'Bail out Your Boat' alerts after significant rainfall - High Tide and Great Tides alerts Customisable Icons for those who prefer the look of their boat on the iPhone icon Location & Webcam Selector - Switch easily between key North Norfolk locations and see instantly updated tide, webcam and weather data. Personalised Settings - Metric or imperial units, your own timing preferences, and data refresh control — all in a clean, collapsible Settings menu. Support for the Community - Morston is free to use. If you find it helpful, please consider donating to the Blakeney Harbour Association to support their vital volunteer work. Disclaimer: Morston is for reference only and must not be used for navigation or safety-critical decisions.

Screenshots

The Buoy4 screens
Morston4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Morston at none against The Buoy's 6. Morston also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). The Buoy's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.5). On price, review sentiment, ads and monetization model 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. The Buoy sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Morston asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Buoy ships an update every 3 weeks, Morston every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
The Buoy versus Morston: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe BuoyMorston
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews97.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB64 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThomas CailholEdward Clark

Customer experience

The Buoy

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive97.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.9%

Morston

Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

The Buoy

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly wax supply$2.991 Month
  • Monthly wax supply$3.991 Month
  • Monthly wax supply$8.991 Month
One-time3
  • Wax supply$2.99
  • Wax supply$3.99
  • Wax supply$8.99
None

Morston

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Buoy free?
The Buoy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Morston free?
Morston is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do The Buoy or Morston have ads?
Neither The Buoy nor Morston shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Buoy or Morston?
The Buoy ships an update every 3 weeks, and Morston every 5 days. Most recently, The Buoy was updated on October 27, 2026 and Morston on October 18, 2026.

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