Comparison

Nullschool vs Wavemaps

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

Head to head
About

Nullschool

Visualize global weather, ocean, and pollution data on an interactive map. Explore current conditions, forecasts up to 5 days, and historical data. Discover atmospheric phenomena like hurricanes, jet streams, and pollution spread.

Highlights
  • Interactive animated global map
  • Wind, ocean, and pollution layers
  • Current conditions and 5-day forecasts
  • Historical data access
  • Aurora and wildfire tracking
  • Subscription for extra features
Features
Read full description

The official app of the popular website earth.nullschool.net! Explore wind, weather, ocean, and pollution conditions, as forecast by supercomputers, on an interactive animated map. Numerous features are available: - Current conditions, forecasts up to 5 days (depending on the data source), and historical data going back many years - Physical layers: wind, temperature, relative humidity, wet bulb temperature, precipitation, MSLP, CAPE, and more - Chemistry and aerosol layers: PM 2.5, CO2, sulfate, and other pollutants - Ocean layers: waves, currents, swells, sea surface temps, coral bleaching - Aurora - Wildfires Explore Earth's atmosphere and oceans wherever your curiosity takes you: - Watch how hurricanes and typhoons form and pull heat from the ocean - See the jet stream and polar vortex - Follow the Kuroshio, Alguhas, and Gulf Stream - Learn how pollution spreads across the globe This app offers paid subscriptions so you can help Nullschool keep the lights on and develop new features. Plus, you get some neat extras: - Curate a gallery of favorites - Save and share screenshots - Generate QR codes for easy linking Who knows what you're going to find?

About

Wavemaps

This app provides detailed wave, surf, and wind forecasts for water enthusiasts and marine professionals. It offers global and nearshore wave modeling, real-time ocean data, and interactive 3D maps to visualize conditions. Users can save favorite locations and access premium features for advanced analysis.

Highlights
  • Global and nearshore wave forecasts
  • Custom ultra high-resolution wave models
  • Thousands of worldwide locations
  • Real-time ocean conditions from buoys
  • Interactive 3D-capable maps
  • Wave-seabed interaction visualization
  • Professional tools and extended forecasts
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Wavemaps — A Professional Wave Forecasting Platform Wavemaps is a professional wave, wind, and marine forecasting platform built for people who spend serious time on or near the water. Surfers, fishers, sailors, captains, lifeguards, marine engineers, and coastal professionals run on the same system: the world's leading wave and marine weather models, refined into hyperlocal forecasts up to 16 days out. MULTI-MODEL COMPARISON Detailed wave forecasts compared side by side across leading global models, including ECMWF and GFS. Read the agreement between models at a glance and make calls with confidence. WAVEMAPS TIME MACHINE Visualize wave and wind forecast maps from 1979 to the present. Replay historical swells, storms, and seasons — and save them as memories to revisit. WAVEMAPS ENERGY COMPASS Our signature swell-direction visualization. See where wave energy is coming from, how it's distributed across components, and how it aligns with the coast you care about. ADVANCED SWELL COMPONENT ANALYSIS Decompose every wave forecast into its swell and wind-wave components — height, period, and direction for each. Know exactly which swell is doing the work. WAVEMAPS HD Ultra-high-resolution nearshore wave forecasts powered by our custom Wavemaps HD engine. For the first time in a forecasting platform, see how waves interact with the seabed — bathymetry, refraction, and shoaling rendered the way you'd see them on a research instrument. Available only in certain regions. WIND FORECASTS High-resolution wind forecasts including gusts, sustained speeds, and direction. Identify offshore, side-shore, and onshore conditions for any spot. THOUSANDS OF LOCATIONS Browse surf spots, fishing zones, and wave buoys worldwide. Save your favorites for personalized forecasts. Add your own spots and pull wave forecasts anywhere in the world. INTERACTIVE 3D MAPS Explore ultra-high-resolution maps of ocean and weather conditions across nearshore and offshore areas. Smooth, GPU-driven 3D visualization helps you understand current conditions and how they're changing over time. PROFESSIONAL FEATURES Premium subscriptions unlock advanced capabilities, extended forecast ranges, and deeper data analysis for users who need traceable, decision-grade ocean intelligence. Terms of Service: https://www.wavemaps.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.wavemaps.com/privacy

Screenshots

Nullschool4 screens
Wavemaps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Nullschool at monthly against Wavemaps's every 3 months. Nullschool also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 88%) and chart position (#49 vs #167). Wavemaps's advantage is ratings volume (186 vs 27). On price, rating, 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. Nullschool sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Wavemaps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Nullschool against 4.9 for Wavemaps. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wavemaps has 186 ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Nullschool's written reviews are positive against 88% of Wavemaps's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nullschool ships an update monthly, Wavemaps every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Nullschool versus Wavemaps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNullschoolWavemaps
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (27 ratings) — better4.9 (186 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better87.5% of reviews
Number of ratings27186 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#49 — better#167
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB119 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNullschool Technologies Inc.Miguel Canals

Customer experience

Nullschool

All ratings27 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Wavemaps

All ratings186 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral0.5%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Nullschool

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Plan$2.991 Month
  • Annual Plan$29.991 Year
  • Friends of Nullschool$49.991 Year
2 purchases

Wavemaps

Subscriptions2
  • Wavemaps Pro7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Wavemaps Pro7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Nullschool free?
Nullschool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Wavemaps free?
Wavemaps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Nullschool or Wavemaps?
Nullschool is rated higher. Nullschool averages 5.0 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while Wavemaps averages 4.9 from 186 ratings.
Do Nullschool or Wavemaps have ads?
Neither Nullschool nor Wavemaps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Nullschool or Wavemaps?
Nullschool ships an update monthly, and Wavemaps every 3 months. Most recently, Nullschool was updated on September 23, 2026 and Wavemaps on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, Nullschool or Wavemaps?
Nullschool currently peaks at #49 in the App Store charts, and Wavemaps at #167. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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