Comparison

SurfSignal vs iWind

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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 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/

About

iWind

Features
Read full description

3 days free then: Annually-$24.00US (that's just $2 per month!) iWind keeps your favorite wind spots close at hand on iPhone and Apple Watch. Check current conditions, browse saved profiles, review spot details, and keep an eye on wind speed, direction, temperature, and recent update times from a clean interface built for quick decisions. On Apple Watch, iWind gives you fast access to the spots you care about most, with glanceable wind readings, radar, forecast charts, workout support, and complications that put conditions directly on your watch face. Features View wind speed, direction, temperature, and spot details Organize spots by profile Sync selected profiles, spots, settings, and login state between iPhone and Apple Watch Check radar for selected locations Review forecast charts for supported spots Start wind-focused Apple Watch workouts Choose wind speed units, temperature units, alert thresholds, and appearance settings Use Apple Watch complications for quick wind condition checks Apple Watch Complications iWind complications show your selected spot’s latest wind conditions directly on the watch face. Depending on the face and complication size, you can see wind speed, direction, spot name, and freshness at a glance without opening the app. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://randycasburn.com/iWind/privacy.html

Screenshots

SurfSignal4 screens
iWind4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SurfSignal at every 5 days against iWind's every 2 weeks. SurfSignal also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). 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. SurfSignal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and iWind sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $24.00 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SurfSignal ships an update every 5 days, iWind every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 6 level
SurfSignal versus iWind: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurfSignaliWind
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size94 MB6 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperSebastiaan DalmeijerRandall Casburn

In-app purchases

3 purchases

SurfSignal

Subscriptions3
  • Super Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Super Yearly1 Month trial$17.991 Year
  • SurfSignal pro Yearly7 Days trial$17.991 Year
1 purchases

iWind

Subscriptions1
  • Annual3 Days trial$24.001 Year

Questions

Is SurfSignal free?
SurfSignal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is iWind free?
iWind is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SurfSignal or iWind have ads?
Neither SurfSignal nor iWind shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SurfSignal or iWind?
SurfSignal ships an update every 5 days, and iWind every 2 weeks. Most recently, SurfSignal was updated on September 29, 2026 and iWind on October 1, 2026.

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