Comparison

Wavemaps vs Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast

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

Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast

Get hyper-accurate local weather forecasts and air quality information. Plan your day with hourly predictions, a 10-day outlook, and severe weather alerts. Stay informed about temperature, wind, precipitation, and more.

Highlights
  • Hour-by-hour forecasts
  • 10-day outlook
  • Real-time AQI
  • Essential weather data
  • Severe weather alerts
Features
Read full description

Live Weather: Your All-in-One Weather Companion Never get caught in the rain again! Live Weather delivers hyper-accurate, local weather forecasts to help you plan every moment of your day and the week ahead. KEY FEATURES: Hour-by-Hour Forecast: Plan your outdoor activities, commute, or workouts with confidence using our detailed hourly predictions. 10-Day Outlook: Get a clear view of the coming week. Perfect for travel planning, events, or knowing when the sunshine returns. Real-Time Air Quality Index (AQI): Breathe easier. Monitor pollution levels, pollen counts, and UV index to protect your health. Essential Weather Data: Track temperature, "feels like" conditions, wind speed/direction, humidity, precipitation probability, and barometric pressure. Severe Weather Alerts: Receive timely notifications for storms, heavy rain, snow, or extreme conditions in your area. Why Choose Live Weather? Reliability: Powered by leading global weather data sources. Clarity: Complex data presented in a simple, intuitive format. Completeness: From hourly details to long-term trends and air quality – all in one place. Download Live Weather now – the smart, simple, and comprehensive way to stay ahead of the weather!

Screenshots

Wavemaps4 screens
Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Wavemaps at 88% against Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast's 50%. Wavemaps also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and chart position (#187 vs unranked). Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and iOS requirement 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. Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Wavemaps holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 186 and 75 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Wavemaps's written reviews are positive against 50% of Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wavemaps ships an update every 3 months, Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Wavemaps versus Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWavemapsLive Weather ‑ Local Forecast
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (186 ratings) — better4.6 (75 ratings)
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings186 — better75
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#187 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size119 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMiguel CanalsElite Wealth Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Wavemaps

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

Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast

All ratings75 ratings
Positive89.3%
Neutral4.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Wavemaps

Subscriptions2
  • Wavemaps Pro7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Wavemaps Pro7 Days trial$59.991 Year
None

Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Wavemaps free?
Wavemaps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast free?
Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Wavemaps or Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast?
Wavemaps is rated higher. Wavemaps averages 4.9 out of 5 from 186 ratings, while Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast averages 4.6 from 75 ratings.
Do Wavemaps or Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast have ads?
Neither Wavemaps nor Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wavemaps or Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast?
Wavemaps ships an update every 3 months, and Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast monthly. Most recently, Wavemaps was updated on September 23, 2026 and Live Weather ‑ Local Forecast on September 22, 2026.

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