# BackyardBuoys vs Going Blue

BackyardBuoys and Going Blue are too close to call on the numbers: across 9 compared parameters — price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for BackyardBuoys against 5.0 for Going Blue. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 2 respectively.

BackyardBuoys ships an update fortnightly, Going Blue every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BackyardBuoys | Going Blue |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyardbuoys/id6502961110/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/going-blue/id6798411927/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 2 |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 3 MB | 102 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BackyardBuoys](https://appshunter.io/developer/1747582159) | [Lane Aasen](https://appshunter.io/developer/6798411929) |

## What reviewers say

### BackyardBuoys

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backyardbuoys/id6502961110)

This application provides coastal communities with easy mobile access to near real-time wave data and visualizations. It leverages scalable marine technology for community-managed ocean buoys, enhancing blue economy and hazard protection.

**Highlights:** Real-time wave data access, Data visualizations, Community-managed buoys, Blue economy enhancement, Hazard protection, Mobile data access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Going Blue

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/going-blue/id6798411927)

This weather app provides detailed forecasts via satellite messengers, ideal for remote expeditions. It compresses extensive weather data into single messages, accessible through SMS, Garmin inReach, or iPhone satellite messaging.

**Highlights:** Satellite messenger compatibility, Custom data compression codec, SMS, Garmin inReach, iPhone messaging support, Hourly and 13-day forecasts, Multiple weather variables, Over 30 forecast models, Forecast comparison

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BackyardBuoys free?

BackyardBuoys is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Going Blue free?

Going Blue is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BackyardBuoys or Going Blue?

BackyardBuoys and Going Blue are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do BackyardBuoys or Going Blue have ads?

Neither BackyardBuoys nor Going Blue shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BackyardBuoys or Going Blue?

BackyardBuoys ships an update fortnightly, and Going Blue every 9 days. Most recently, BackyardBuoys was updated on October 17, 2026 and Going Blue on October 21, 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.*