Comparison

A vs SurfMap

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

SurfMap

This app uses AI to provide personalized surf forecasts based on your skill level and preferred spots. It offers an interactive map for viewing conditions and custom alerts to never miss a great session.

Highlights
  • AI-powered personalized forecasts
  • Interactive map with live conditions
  • 7-day surf planning
  • Customizable alerts
  • Tide and crowd level tracking
  • Skill-level adaptation
Features
Read full description

SurfMap rates the surf for your level at more than 5,000 spots around the world. For each spot, it shows you the best hours to go and tells you why. RATED FOR YOUR LEVEL • Tell SurfMap if you're a beginner, an intermediate or an advanced surfer, and every hour of the week gets a rating for you. • Each rating gives its reason in plain words, like "Ideal size for your level" or "Too much wind". • When the tide makes a spot dangerous, a warning sign shows next to its rating. • Rate your sessions and the AI adds a personal score that predicts how much you'll enjoy each hour. It runs on your iPhone and learns only from your own sessions. MAKE EACH SPOT YOURS • Tell SurfMap which tides work at your spot, which ones are dangerous and how big the waves really get there, and the ratings take it into account. • Save your favorite spots. Around 6:30 pm, SurfMap tells you if one of them looks good tomorrow, and it stays quiet when nothing is worth the trip. • Home Screen widgets show the spot you pick, or the closest spot wherever you are. FIND WHERE TO SURF • See which spots around you, or which of your favorites, look good today, tomorrow, this weekend or later in the week. • Hourly graphs show the waves, wind, tide and weather. Drag across the day to check any hour. • The nearby forecast shows seven days for every spot around you. Open the week in landscape, or compare two spots side by side. • Search spots, towns and guides by the name locals use or the one travelers know. WHERE THE FORECAST COMES FROM • Waves, wind and weather come from global wave and weather models, refreshed twice a day for the next seven days. The ratings are SurfMap's own reading of them. • Tides are predicted for each spot from its own tidal constants, the same method behind printed tide tables. 16 SURF GUIDES • The guides cover Ericeira, Peniche, the Algarve, Hossegor, both sides of the Basque Country, Galicia, Asturias, Cornwall, the west coast of Ireland, Fuerteventura, Taghazout, Bali, the Mentawai Islands, Siargao and Sri Lanka. • Each guide says which spot suits your level, the tide that makes it work and the hazards to watch out for. ASK SIRI • "Hey Siri, does it surf today in Huntington Beach with SurfMap?" Siri answers with your rating and the best window, and a tap opens the spot. • With Apple Intelligence, ask SurfMap anything, like "Is tomorrow better than today at Huntington Beach?" Siri questions need iOS 26. APPLE WATCH • Track your session from your wrist, with no phone in the water. The watch counts your waves, and notices missed waves and wipeouts too. • Follow your heart rate, calories and paddle distance live, and keep the GPS track. If your watch runs out of battery, the session isn't lost. • The watch shows conditions and tide for your spots, and its complications can follow the closest spot. YOUR SURF LOG • Every session goes into your log with its conditions and the board you rode, and each month gets its own recap page. • Share a spot's forecast, a session or a whole month as an image. • Your profile keeps your records and a stamp for each new spot and each new country. • Surf workouts go to Apple Health and count toward your rings. SurfMap has no ads. Please note: All features in SurfMap require a subscription. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

A4 screens
SurfMap4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: A at none against SurfMap's 4. A also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 75%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). SurfMap's advantage is ratings volume (40 vs 12). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. SurfMap sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. A asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

A holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 40 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of A's written reviews are positive against 75% of SurfMap's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
A versus SurfMap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterASurfMap
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (12 ratings) — better4.5 (40 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1240 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 6 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB57 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperOrlando SantosGuillaume Bernos

Customer experience

A

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

SurfMap

All ratings40 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral2.5%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

A

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

SurfMap

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Plan$1.997 Days
  • Monthly Plan$6.991 Month
  • Annual Plan14 Days trial$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$99.00

Questions

Is A free?
A is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SurfMap free?
SurfMap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, A or SurfMap?
A is rated higher. A averages 4.7 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while SurfMap averages 4.5 from 40 ratings.
Do A or SurfMap have ads?
Neither A nor SurfMap shows ads.
Which is updated more often, A or SurfMap?
A ships an update every 6 days, and SurfMap every 6 days. Most recently, A was updated on October 16, 2026 and SurfMap on October 22, 2026.

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