Swell Intel vs Current
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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 discover nearby surf spots.
- Detailed surf forecasts
- Real-time conditions
- Smart alerts for optimal surf
- 16-day forecast extension
- At-a-glance spot ratings
- Nearby spot discovery
- Favorite spot saving
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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/
Current
Get detailed, physics-based surf forecasts for over 1,000 surf breaks. View 16-day outlooks including swell, wind, tide, and surf heights. Features animated maps and unique spot statistics like water temperature and breaker type.
- 16-day surf forecast
- Animated wind, current, and swell maps
- Detailed spot statistics
- Water temperature with wetsuit recommendations
- Custom spot forecasting
- Hourly forecast for first 10 days
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Current gives you physics-based surf forecasts for more than 1,000 breaks across California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and the East and Gulf Coasts. Current is part of a movement to create more accurate and detailed surf forecasts. What you get: • 16-day surf forecast for every spot - swell, wind, tide, surf heights, and ratings • An animated map - wind, currents, and swell in motion, surf height painted along the coastline • Spot stats you won't find anywhere else - set height, breaker type, peakiness, plus water temperature with a wetsuit pick • Secret spots - draw your own spot anywhere on the coast and get a full forecast for it The 10-day forecast is free for every spot. Upgrade to Current Premium for the full 16-day forecast, future-day spot stats, and future-day map overlays. Forecasts are estimates. Always check real conditions and surf within your limits. CURRENT PREMIUM (optional subscription) The hourly surf forecast is free for days 1–10. Premium unlocks days 11–16, plus future-day map overlays (surf height, wind, currents, water temperature) and future-day spot stats. Premium Monthly: [monthly price]/month. Premium Annual: [annual price]/year. Both auto-renew. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your App Store settings. Privacy Policy: https://currentsurf.com/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://currentsurf.com/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Swell Intel at 5.0 against Current's 4.5. Swell Intel also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 71%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, 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
Both are free to download. Swell Intel sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Current sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Swell Intel holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 16 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Swell Intel's written reviews are positive against 71% of Current's.
Swell Intel ships an update weekly, Current every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.
| Parameter | Swell Intel | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (11 ratings) — better | 4.5 (16 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 71.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 11 | 16 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 35 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Swell Intel LLC | Colin Weaver |
Customer experience
Swell Intel
Current
In-app purchases
Swell Intel
- Swell Intel Premium Plus14 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Premium Yearly14 Days trial$24.991 Year
Current
- Current Premium$4.991 Month
- Current Premium Annual$29.991 Year








