# Swell Scope vs Surf Prophet

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Surf Prophet at none against Swell Scope's 3. Surf Prophet also leads on update cadence (daily vs monthly). Swell Scope's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (55 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Swell Scope sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Surf Prophet asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Swell Scope against 5.0 for Surf Prophet. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Swell Scope has 55 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of Swell Scope's written reviews are positive against 100% of Surf Prophet's.

Swell Scope ships an update monthly, Surf Prophet daily. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Swell Scope | Surf Prophet |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swell-scope-surf-forecast/id6747609653/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-prophet/id6749921029/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **55** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 92.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 113 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Flockatoo Tech Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721743955) | [Christopher Boyns](https://appshunter.io/developer/1813932728) |

## What reviewers say

### Swell Scope

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swell-scope-surf-forecast/id6747609653)

This app allows users to create custom surf spots globally by dropping pins and provides detailed forecast data from premier weather models. It features a surf journal with auto-import and trend charts to help users make informed decisions about their sessions.

**Highlights:** Custom surf spot creation worldwide, 14-day detailed weather forecast, Surf journal with auto-import, Similar session comparison, Trend charts for forecast data, Real-time data updates

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Access | $2.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Access | $24.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Unlimited Access | $49.99 | one-time |


### Surf Prophet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-prophet/id6749921029)

Get personalized surf spot recommendations powered by AI. This app analyzes ocean conditions and your past performance to help you find the best waves. Track your sessions, discover optimal conditions, and contribute to a community-driven surf forecasting database.

**Highlights:** AI-powered surf spot recommendations, Personalized predictions with confidence percentages, Detailed reasoning for spot suggestions, Session logging and condition tracking, Seasonal performance analytics, Comprehensive spot database, Community-driven data sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Swell Scope free?

Swell Scope is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Surf Prophet free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Swell Scope or Surf Prophet?

Surf Prophet is rated higher. Swell Scope averages 4.9 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while Surf Prophet averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Swell Scope or Surf Prophet have ads?

Surf Prophet shows ads; Swell Scope does not.

### Which is updated more often, Swell Scope or Surf Prophet?

Swell Scope ships an update monthly, and Surf Prophet daily. Most recently, Swell Scope was updated on November 8, 2026 and Surf Prophet on October 30, 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.*