Comparison

GRLSWIRL vs Swella

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

Head to head
About

GRLSWIRL

Connect with skaters globally, discover local chapters, and find meetups. Learn new skills with tutorials from pros and find exciting skate events and spots. Join the community chat to share your progress and stay updated on brand news.

Highlights
  • Connect with skaters worldwide
  • Learn new skills with tutorials
  • Find events and skate spots
  • Join community chat
  • Stay updated on announcements
Features
Read full description

GRLSWIRL GRLSWIRL App: where skaters from around the world unite in one powerful community. Connect with skaters around the world and immerse yourself in the GRLSWIRL community while building confidence, connection, and style on a board. Whether you're just getting started or already flowing, the GRLSWIRL app is your digital skate community. With the GRLSWIRL app, you can: - Connect with skaters worldwide — Discover local chapters, meetups, and skaters near you - Learn new skills & level up your surfskate flow — Access tutorials from our team riders and community pros - Find events and skate spots — Explore group rides, retreats, and hidden gems around the globe - Join the community chat — Ask questions, share wins, and cheer each other on - Be first to know about GRLSWIRL drops, announcements and giveaways Unlock a global skate movement — the GRLSWIRL app connects you to skaters worldwide.

About

Swella

Connect with women who surf, whether you're at a local break or traveling. Plan surf sessions and trips, discover nearby surfers, and build confidence in the water. Find your surf sisters and never paddle out alone again.

Highlights
  • Create surfer profile
  • Share surf sessions and trips
  • Discover nearby women surfers
  • Connect by location, dates, and level
  • Chat and plan surf meetups
  • Build confidence in the lineup
Features
Read full description

Swella is the first app for women who surf, helping you connect with women nearby or while traveling, plan sessions or trips, and feel more confident in the lineup. Whether you’re heading to a new surf spot, planning a surf trip, or simply hoping not to paddle out alone, Swella helps you find other women surfing in the same place, at the same time, and at a similar level. Create and share surf sessions or trips, discover women surfers nearby, and start conversations to plan your next surf. With Swella, you can: • Create your surfer profile • Share your next surf session or trip • Discover women surfers nearby • Connect based on location, dates, and level • Chat and make plans to surf together • Explore curated surf trips, retreats, and experiences Swella helps you find surf sisters, feel more comfortable in the lineup, and surf with more confidence wherever you are. Built for every woman who’s ever looked around the lineup for another woman. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

GRLSWIRL4 screens
Swella4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GRLSWIRL at none against Swella's 2. GRLSWIRL also leads on ratings volume (113 vs 3) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). Swella's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. Swella sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. GRLSWIRL asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Swella holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GRLSWIRL has 113 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of GRLSWIRL's written reviews are positive against 100% of Swella's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GRLSWIRL ships an update every 3 months, Swella monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
GRLSWIRL versus Swella: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGRLSWIRLSwella
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (113 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews94.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings113 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.4 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size93 MB30 MB
Age rating17+17+
Developergrlswirl llcRita Marques

Customer experience

GRLSWIRL

All ratings113 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive94.1%
Neutral5.9%
Negative0.0%

Swella

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

GRLSWIRL

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Swella

Subscriptions2
  • Swella Plus Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Swella Plus Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is GRLSWIRL free?
GRLSWIRL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Swella free?
Swella is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, GRLSWIRL or Swella?
Swella is rated higher. GRLSWIRL averages 4.8 out of 5 from 113 ratings, while Swella averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do GRLSWIRL or Swella have ads?
Neither GRLSWIRL nor Swella shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GRLSWIRL or Swella?
GRLSWIRL ships an update every 3 months, and Swella monthly. Most recently, GRLSWIRL was updated on November 5, 2026 and Swella on October 30, 2026.

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