Comparison

A vs Swell Intel

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

Head to head
About

A

This app offers an intuitive 7-day surf forecast with a vertical layout for easy viewing of conditions at your favorite surf spots. Quickly find nearby locations and analyze detailed hourly forecasts and tide graphs.

Highlights
  • 7-day vertical surf forecast
  • Map of surf locations
  • Favorites for quick access
  • Nearby surf spot finder
  • Detailed hourly forecast
  • Tide graphs
Features
Read full description

A-Frame’s goal is to provide the easiest-to-use surf forecast app. Our 7-day vertical forecast format makes it simple to scroll through and view your favorite surf locations, so you can spend more time planning your next paddle out and less time clicking through multiple pages. Key Features: * Map Page
Explore surf locations across US, Mexico, Australia and Hawaii, with more locations coming soon! Easily swipe through locations to get a snapshot of current surf conditions and ratings. *Favorites where your favorite surf spots to the Favorites Page and view current forecasts for each location at a glance. Spend less time navigating and more time checking the conditions at the waves you love most. * Local
Our Local Page lists nearby surf locations ranked by rating and distance. Whether you’re at home or on a surf vacation, quickly see the best surf spots within a 40 mile radius. * Enhanced Forecast Design
The 7-day vertical forecast provides a detailed 21-hour view for each day, combined with tide graphs for seamless analysis. Our intuitive layout eliminates the need to scroll back and forth, offering a streamlined experience for checking all the surf data you need in one place.

About

Swell Intel

Get detailed surf forecasts, real-time conditions, and smart alerts to find the best waves. Plan your surf trips with up to 16-day forecasts and easily scan spot conditions at a glance. Receive notifications when conditions meet your standards, ensuring you never miss a good session.

Highlights
  • Detailed surf forecasts up to 16 days
  • Real-time wave height, swell, and wind data
  • Smart alerts for optimal surf conditions
  • At-a-glance spot condition ratings
  • Detailed forecast charts (swell, wind, tide)
  • Find and save nearby surf spots
Features
Read full description

Swell Intel gives you everything you need to score the best waves — detailed surf forecasts, real-time conditions, and smart alerts that tell you when to go. Check the Conditions - Wave height, swell direction, wind speed, and surf quality ratings for every surf spot across the US and Puerto Rico. Forecasts extend up to 16 days so you can plan trips with confidence. At-a-Glance Conditions- Spot cards show morning, midday, and evening ratings at a glance — quickly scan which spots are firing and when the window is best without tapping into every forecast. Surf Alerts - Set a minimum condition rating on your favorite spots and get notified by push notification or email when conditions meet your standards. Never miss a good session again. Detailed Forecast Charts - Dive into swell period and direction, wind barbs, wave energy, tide charts, and sunrise/sunset — all the data you need in one place. Find Nearby Spots - Discover surf spots near your with real-time conditions and ratings. Save your favorites for quick access. Free to Use, More with Premium - Free: 5-day forecast, 5 nearby spots, 5 favorites, 1 alert - Premium Plus: 16-day forecast, 15 spots, 15 favorites, 10 alerts Terms of service - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

A4 screens
Swell Intel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: A at none against Swell Intel's 2. Swell Intel's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Swell Intel sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. A asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Swell Intel holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 11 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and July 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
A versus Swell Intel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterASwell Intel
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (12 ratings)5.0 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better11
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 6 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOrlando SantosSwell Intel LLC

Customer experience

A

All ratings12 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Swell Intel

All ratings11 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

A

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Swell Intel

Subscriptions2
  • Swell Intel Premium Monthly14 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Swell Intel Premium Plus14 Days trial$2.991 Month

Questions

Is A free?
A is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Swell Intel free?
Swell Intel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, A or Swell Intel?
Swell Intel is rated higher. A averages 4.7 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Swell Intel averages 5.0 from 11 ratings.
Do A or Swell Intel have ads?
Neither A nor Swell Intel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, A or Swell Intel?
A ships an update every 6 days, and Swell Intel every 6 days. Most recently, A was updated on September 12, 2026 and Swell Intel on July 18, 2026.

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