# SurfWaves vs SurfMap

The clearest difference is monetization model: SurfWaves at free with in-app purchases against SurfMap's subscription. SurfWaves also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 67%) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SurfWaves sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and SurfMap sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SurfWaves ships an update weekly, SurfMap every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on August 27, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SurfWaves | SurfMap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.5 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfmap-your-surf-forecast/id6749829392/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **40** |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 80 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | +4 | 12+ |
| Developer | [Dereck Vicentin Leme](https://appshunter.io/developer/1735624560) | [Guillaume Bernos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1557243040) |

## What reviewers say

### SurfWaves

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfwaves/id6748910140)

This app uses AI to predict optimal surfing conditions, recommending the best beaches and times to surf. It offers real-time visual analysis of beach cameras for wave quality, crowd, wind, and tide, with customizable regional settings and multilingual support.

**Highlights:** AI-powered surf condition forecasting, Smart beach and time recommendations, Live image analysis of beach cameras, Wave quality, crowd, wind, and tide interpretation, Customizable regional settings and units, Multilingual support, Home screen widgets and Apple CarPlay integration

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| mensal R$9.90 | $9.99 | per month |
| Trimestral R$29.90 | $24.99 | per 3 months |
| Anual R$129.90 | $99.99 | per year |


### SurfMap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfmap-your-surf-forecast/id6749829392)

This app uses AI to provide personalized surf forecasts based on your skill level and preferred spots. It offers an interactive map for viewing conditions and custom alerts to never miss a great session.

**Highlights:** AI-powered personalized forecasts, Interactive map with live conditions, 7-day surf planning, Customizable alerts, Tide and crowd level tracking, Skill-level adaptation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plan | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Plan | $6.99 | per month |
| Annual Plan | $34.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $99.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SurfWaves free?

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

### Is SurfMap free?

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

### Do SurfWaves or SurfMap have ads?

Neither SurfWaves nor SurfMap shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SurfWaves or SurfMap?

SurfWaves ships an update weekly, and SurfMap every 6 days. Most recently, SurfWaves was updated on August 27, 2026 and SurfMap on September 18, 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.*