Comparison

Wavemaps vs Wave Whisperer

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

Wave Whisperer

Access real-time buoy data for surfers, including swell height, period, direction, and sea surface temperature. Track historical readings, compare conditions over 24 hours, and learn about buoy data with an educational section. Features a low-light mode and customizable units.

Highlights
  • Real-time buoy data (swell, period, direction, temp)
  • 24-hour condition comparison
  • Save and revisit historical readings
  • Rotating compass with swell direction
  • Buoy School educational section
  • Low Light display mode
  • Customizable units (feet/meters, F/C)
Features
Read full description

Read the buoy. Watch the water. Train your call. Wave Whisperer pulls current buoy data straight from CDIP (Scripps) and NOAA's National Data Buoy Center. See current swell height, period, direction, and sea surface temperature for your break, all on one clean screen. Built for surfers who want the numbers as measured, not a forecast. Study for a season. See the results. With time, discipline and patience, you become a better surfer who understands the ocean and your break. What you get: • Your own buoys: five to start, the nearest to you when location is on, then any of 109 across the North Pacific • Individual swells and the average period, two switches you turn on when you want them • 24-hour comparison, so you can see how conditions have shifted • Recent data at a glance; press and hold a row to log a past reading • Your logbook: tap the pencil to log a reading, name it what you saw, and star it. When a live reading matches a starred log, an amber ring highlights CURRENT • A rotating compass with swell direction on the rim • Buoy School: what every reading means, with CDIP's own definitions and links • Dark display mode for dawn patrol • Feet and Fahrenheit, or meters and Celsius; 12-hour or 24-hour clock • A share card for the current reading No ads. No accounts. No tracking. Your logbook stays on your device and in your own iCloud. Try it free for 30 days. After that, a one-time $1.99 unlock keeps it going. No subscription. Wave Whisperer shows current measured conditions. It is not a forecast and does not tell you whether to paddle out. Always use your own judgment and official sources for marine safety. Not affiliated with NOAA, NDBC, CDIP, or Scripps.

Screenshots

Wavemaps4 screens
Wave Whisperer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Wavemaps at 241 against Wave Whisperer's 2. Wavemaps also leads on chart position (#102 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). Wave Whisperer's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 88%). 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. Wavemaps sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per month and Wave Whisperer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 — 4.9 for Wavemaps against 5.0 for Wave Whisperer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wavemaps has 241 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Wavemaps's written reviews are positive against 100% of Wave Whisperer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wavemaps ships an update every 3 months, Wave Whisperer monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Wavemaps versus Wave Whisperer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWavemapsWave Whisperer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (241 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings241 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#102 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size119 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMiguel CanalsIn the Moment Technology LLC

Customer experience

Wavemaps

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

Wave Whisperer

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Wavemaps

Subscriptions1
  • Wavemaps Pro7 Days trial$7.991 Month
1 purchases

Wave Whisperer

One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$1.99

Questions

Is Wavemaps free?
Wavemaps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Wave Whisperer free?
Wave Whisperer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Wavemaps or Wave Whisperer?
Wave Whisperer is rated higher. Wavemaps averages 4.9 out of 5 from 241 ratings, while Wave Whisperer averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Wavemaps or Wave Whisperer have ads?
Neither Wavemaps nor Wave Whisperer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wavemaps or Wave Whisperer?
Wavemaps ships an update every 3 months, and Wave Whisperer monthly. Most recently, Wavemaps was updated on November 5, 2026 and Wave Whisperer on October 31, 2026.

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