Comparison

Wavemaps vs SurfMap

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

Head to head
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

About

SurfMap

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
Read full description

Smarter surf forecasts. Better sessions. SurfMap is the AI-powered surf forecast app built entirely around you. It learns your skill level, favorite spots and the sessions you rate, and answers the only question that matters: where and when should you paddle out? It covers more than 5,000 spots worldwide, comes with a full Apple Watch app, and version 2.0 brings a completely redesigned experience. A FRESH NEW LOOK • Redesigned spot page: the sky above your forecast mirrors the real weather of every hour • The verdict up top: your AI rating and the best window to paddle out, before you scroll • Slide through the day and watch waves, wind, tide and sky update instantly • Redesigned Home Screen widgets in every size, with your best window at a glance SURF GUIDES, LOCAL KNOWLEDGE BUILT IN • Hand-crafted guides for Bali, Ericeira, Hossegor, Taghazout and the French Basque Country • The right spot for your level, the tide windows that make it work, and the hazards to respect • Ratings that know when a spot only breaks on the right tide • Discover guide spots straight from the map NOW ON APPLE WATCH • Track your surf sessions right from your wrist, no phone needed in the water • Automatic wave counting from wrist motion: every ride logged, hands-free • Missed waves and wipeouts detected too, with the G-force of every fall • Live heart rate, calories, paddle distance and the GPS track of your session • Conditions, tide curve and sunrise/sunset for your spots, at a glance • Watch-face complications + full session recap synced to your iPhone AI FORECASTS, PERSONALIZED • Beginner? Mellow waves and gentle winds. Charger? We'll find the pumping reef break • Ratings tuned to your level and sharpened by the sessions you rate • Honest AI: it shows you the session it matched, and says so when it needs more data • Plain-language conditions: "Groomed by offshore wind", "Too small for your level" • Custom alerts the moment conditions hit your sweet spot ASK SIRI • "Hey Siri, does it surf today in Huntington Beach with SurfMap?" Your rating, the best window, and a card that opens the spot • "Where can I surf this weekend with SurfMap?" The best spots near you, for your level • Ask SurfMap anything with Apple Intelligence, like "Is tomorrow better than today at Huntington Beach?", and find your spots and guides in Spotlight (iOS 26) EVERYTHING ON ONE MAP • 5,000+ surf spots worldwide with live wave height, swell, wind, tides and crowds • Hour by hour: swell period & direction, wind direction, tide curves with high/low times • Weekly overview: the days ahead ranked for your level, with the best day and hour flagged • Rotate to landscape for the full-week grid TRACK & PROGRESS • Log sessions with waves, duration and a conditions snapshot • Compare two sessions head to head, and relive your season with Surf Rewind • Session history with stats, progression and year filters • Apple Health integration: surf workouts count toward your rings • Ad-free, for pure focus on the waves Download SurfMap and surf smarter, not harder. Never miss a great session again. Please note: All features in SurfMap require a subscription. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Wavemaps4 screens
SurfMap4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Wavemaps at free with in-app purchases against SurfMap's subscription. Wavemaps also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (88% vs 67%). SurfMap's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Wavemaps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Wavemaps holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 186 and 40 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Wavemaps's written reviews are positive against 67% of SurfMap's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wavemaps ships an update every 3 months, SurfMap every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Wavemaps versus SurfMap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWavemapsSurfMap
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (186 ratings) — better4.5 (40 ratings)
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings186 — better40
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#153 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size119 MB56 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMiguel CanalsGuillaume Bernos

Customer experience

Wavemaps

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

SurfMap

All ratings40 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral2.5%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Wavemaps

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

SurfMap

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Plan$1.997 Days
  • Monthly Plan$6.991 Month
  • Annual Plan14 Days trial$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$99.00

Questions

Is Wavemaps free?
Wavemaps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SurfMap free?
SurfMap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Wavemaps or SurfMap?
Wavemaps is rated higher. Wavemaps averages 4.9 out of 5 from 186 ratings, while SurfMap averages 4.5 from 40 ratings.
Do Wavemaps or SurfMap have ads?
Neither Wavemaps nor SurfMap shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wavemaps or SurfMap?
Wavemaps ships an update every 3 months, and SurfMap every 6 days. Most recently, Wavemaps was updated on September 28, 2026 and SurfMap on September 18, 2026.

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