SurfSignal vs WaveCheck
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SurfSignal
This app provides personalized daily alerts for optimal surfing, kiting, and windsurfing conditions based on your chosen spots and preferred wind, swell, and tide settings. It offers a clear timeline of all your spots and allows you to sync planned sessions directly to your calendar.
- Personalized spot selection
- Customizable condition rules
- Daily clear signal alerts
- Multi-spot timeline view
- Session planning and calendar sync
- High-resolution forecast data
- Live station wind checks
Read full descriptionHide full description
SurfSignal sends one clear daily signal when your own spots and conditions line up. Choose any surf spot, set your ideal wind, swell and tide conditions, and let SurfSignal watch the forecast for you. Looking further ahead? The agenda puts all your spots on one timeline, day by day. Tap the windows you want to ride. Your session lands in your own calendar, with the spot, the times and the route. - No ads. - No login. - No noise. - Ready in two minutes. SurfSignal is built for surfers, kiters, windsurfers, foilers, sailors and anyone who depends on the right wind, tide or swell. Why SurfSignal? - Choose your own surf spots - Set your own wind, tide and swell rules - Get one clear daily signal - See all your spots on one timeline - Plan your sessions and sync them to your own calendar - See high-resolution forecasts - Check live station wind - View surf cams - Use clean hourly tables and graphs - Customize each spot your way SurfSignal is not another app to scroll through. It is a tool. Set your signal. Go when it's on. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
WaveCheck
This app analyzes surf forecasts to tell you the best times and places to surf based on your skill level and equipment. It offers detailed hourly conditions, smart alerts, session tracking, and a global map of surf spots.
- Personalized surf scores
- 2,000+ surf spots worldwide
- Detailed hourly forecasts
- Smart push notifications
- Session logging and history
- Leaderboard and rankings
- Google Calendar sync
Read full descriptionHide full description
WaveCheck scores every surf forecast for you — so you know exactly where and when to paddle out. PERSONALIZED SURF SCORES Every forecast is scored for your skill level and board — or set your own custom preferences. 2,000+ SPOTS ACROSS THE WORLD Browse on an interactive map or view each spot's satellite imagery to visualize the conditions DETAILED FORECASTS Hour-by-hour breakdown: wave height, swell direction and period, wind speed and direction, tide charts, water temperature, and more. DAILY DIGEST Get your daily spots to go surf to, with 5 days out shown with a Pro subscription SMART ALERTS Get a push notification the evening before when tomorrow looks good at your favorite spots. Set your minimum score threshold so you only get pinged when it's worth it. SPOT PREFERENCES Set custom preferences for individual spots — because your ideal conditions at a beach break aren't the same as a reef. Override your global settings per spot. SESSION TRACKING Log every surf with conditions, personal ratings, and notes. Build your surf journal and see your history at every spot. Forecast conditions are saved automatically so you can look back and learn what works for you. CLIMB THE RANKS Log sessions to climb the leaderboard. See how you stack up against other surfers at your spot, your area, and your country. MAP DISCOVERY Explore new breaks near you or anywhere. Color-coded clusters show you where conditions are firing right now. Zoom in to find hidden gems. GOOGLE CALENDAR SYNC Sync planned sessions to your calendar so you never double-book a good swell. Questions or feedback? support@wavecheck.surf Instagram: @wavecheck.app WaveCheck Pro Subscription WaveCheck Pro unlocks unlimited favorite spots, unlimited spot preferences, and supports an indie developer. 20% of all subscription revenue is donated to ocean conservation. Pricing: - Monthly: $4.99/month - Annual: $49.99/year (save 17%) Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. Terms of Use: https://wavecheck.surf/terms Privacy Policy: https://wavecheck.surf/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: WaveCheck at 13.0 against SurfSignal's 16.0. On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. SurfSignal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and WaveCheck sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
SurfSignal ships an update every 5 days, WaveCheck every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and August 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SurfSignal | WaveCheck |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 94 MB | 95 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | Sebastiaan Dalmeijer | Austin Urraca |
Customer experience
SurfSignal
WaveCheck
In-app purchases
SurfSignal
- Super Monthly$1.991 Month
- Super Yearly1 Month trial$17.991 Year
- SurfSignal pro Yearly7 Days trial$17.991 Year
WaveCheck
- Monthly$4.991 Month
- Yearly$49.991 Year





