Comparison

WindUp vs iWind

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

Head to head
About

WindUp

Features
Read full description

Wind doesn't wait. Neither should you. WindUp watches your spot around the clock and rings your phone the moment the wind is right — through Silent, through Do Not Disturb, through Focus. Set it tonight, sleep properly, and wake up only when it's actually worth getting up for. SET YOUR CONDITIONS, NOT AN ALARM CLOCK • Minimum wind speed — and a maximum, if you have a ceiling • Wind direction sectors — only the ones that work at your spot • Days and a time window — no 4am ring on a work night • Snooze, ringtone and volume, all yours AN ALARM THAT ACTUALLY RINGS Most weather apps send a notification you will never hear. WindUp rings like a real alarm, even on Silent. And if you sleep straight through it, it can call your phone. LIVE WIND FROM REAL STATIONS Thousands of live weather stations across Europe and beyond. Real readings — average, gusts, direction and temperature — not a model's best guess. SEVEN DAYS AHEAD An AI wind forecast for every station, so you can plan the weekend on Tuesday. FIND YOUR NEXT SPOT Every station on one map. Zoom, tap, and see what's blowing right now. WIND COMPASS Hold your phone flat and see exactly where the wind is coming from, relative to where you're standing. TIDES Tide curves and high and low times for coastal spots, right next to the wind. WINDUP PRO • Unlimited wind alarms • Tides for every spot • Dark mode • Home-screen widgets Built for kitesurfers, windsurfers, wingfoilers, sailors, and anyone whose day depends on the wind. Privacy Policy: https://windup.live/legal/privacy/ Support: https://windup.live/windup_support/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

About

iWind

Features
Read full description

3 days free then: Annually-$24.00US (that's just $2 per month!) iWind keeps your favorite wind spots close at hand on iPhone and Apple Watch. Check current conditions, browse saved profiles, review spot details, and keep an eye on wind speed, direction, temperature, and recent update times from a clean interface built for quick decisions. On Apple Watch, iWind gives you fast access to the spots you care about most, with glanceable wind readings, radar, forecast charts, workout support, and complications that put conditions directly on your watch face. Features View wind speed, direction, temperature, and spot details Organize spots by profile Sync selected profiles, spots, settings, and login state between iPhone and Apple Watch Check radar for selected locations Review forecast charts for supported spots Start wind-focused Apple Watch workouts Choose wind speed units, temperature units, alert thresholds, and appearance settings Use Apple Watch complications for quick wind condition checks Apple Watch Complications iWind complications show your selected spot’s latest wind conditions directly on the watch face. Depending on the face and complication size, you can see wind speed, direction, spot name, and freshness at a glance without opening the app. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://randycasburn.com/iWind/privacy.html

Screenshots

WindUp4 screens
iWind4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: WindUp at 15.0 against iWind's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. WindUp sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and iWind sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $24.00 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
WindUp versus iWind: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWindUpiWind
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVirtual Verse Studio LLCRandall Casburn

In-app purchases

2 purchases

WindUp

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium Subscription1 Month trial$2.991 Month
  • Premium Annual Subscription1 Month trial$29.991 Year
1 purchases

iWind

Subscriptions1
  • Annual3 Days trial$24.001 Year

Questions

Is WindUp free?
WindUp is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is iWind free?
iWind is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do WindUp or iWind have ads?
Neither WindUp nor iWind shows ads.
Which is updated more often, WindUp or iWind?
WindUp ships an update every 2 weeks, and iWind every 2 weeks. Most recently, WindUp was updated on October 30, 2026 and iWind on October 25, 2026.

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