Comparison

WaveWatch vs Beachable

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

Head to head
About

WaveWatch

Get precise marine and weather data for water sports. Track wave height, swell, wind, and sea surface temperature. Access 10-day hourly forecasts with interactive maps and GPS integration for safe and enjoyable time on the water.

Highlights
  • Wave height and direction tracking
  • Detailed swell analysis
  • 10-day hourly weather forecasts
  • Interactive time-based weather maps
  • GPS integration for location detection
  • Offline data storage
Features
Read full description

WaveWatch is the ultimate marine weather companion for sailors, surfers, boaters, and water sports enthusiasts. Get detailed marine and weather data with precision accuracy for safe and enjoyable time on the water. MARINE WEATHER DATA • Wave Height & Direction - Track wave heights, periods, and directions • Swell Analysis - Detailed swell height, period, and direction data • Wind Waves - Separate wind wave and swell components • Sea Surface Temperature - Current water temperatures • Ocean Currents - Velocity and direction of ocean currents WEATHER FORECASTS • 10-Day Hourly Forecasts - Detailed weather predictions • Wind Speed & Direction - Color-coded wind visualization • Temperature & Precipitation - Air temp, feels-like, rain probability • Visibility & Pressure - Essential navigation data • UV Index & Sunrise/Sunset - Sun protection and daylight planning INTERACTIVE FEATURES • Time-Based Weather Maps - Scroll through forecast timelines • Location Search - Find any coastal area worldwide • GPS Integration - Automatic location detection • Nearby Places - Discover harbors, beaches, and launch points • Favorites System - Save your most-used locations PROFESSIONAL MARINE TOOLS • Multiple Unit Systems - Nautical (knots), Metric, Imperial • Wind Scale Visualization - Color-coded Beaufort scale • Marine-Specific Forecasts - Purpose-built for water activities • High Precision Data - Professional-grade accuracy PRIVACY & RELIABILITY • Zero Data Collection - Your information stays on your device • Offline Capabilities - Local storage for critical data • Fast Performance - Optimized for mobile use • Reliable Sources Perfect for sailing trips, surfing sessions, fishing trips, yacht cruising, and any water-based activity. Whether you're a professional sailor or weekend boater, WaveWatch provides the marine intelligence you need to make informed decisions on the water.

About

Beachable

Features
Read full description

Know before you go. Beachable reads live tide, swell, and wind data and tells you, in plain language, whether today is worth it. No numbers to decode, just a clear go or no-go for the ocean activity you care about. The ocean runs on its own schedule. Beachable does the interpretation for you: it pulls from NOAA buoy networks, tide models, and marine forecast APIs, then runs each location through a scoring engine calibrated to that specific activity. What you see reflects the actual conditions at your spot, not a generic regional average. Beaching Tide timing is everything. Beachable works out when low tide exposes enough sand to actually use the beach, factors in wave height so a low tide under 6-foot surf doesn't fool you, and gives you a window: how long it lasts and when it returns. Surfing Wave height alone doesn't tell you much. Beachable scores each break on swell height, swell period, direction match to that spot's orientation, wind, and tide state together. You get a single honest rating, plus a 10-day forecast so you can plan around your schedule. Diving Visibility is the one condition divers can't judge until they're in the water. Beachable estimates it in real time from sea state, swell, and wind data, then scores your dive site and tells you whether it's worth the drive. Fishing Tides, swell, wind, and seasonal species data combine into a single fishing conditions score. Current fish counts from local sportfishing landings are pulled live, so you know what's actually being caught. Set your home location and Beachable loads the best nearby spots for each activity automatically: beaches, surf breaks, dive sites, and fishing grounds, from California to Hawaii, Ireland, Australia, Bali, and more. Every condition is personalized to your coast. Upgrade to Pro for the full 10-day forecast, custom threshold alerts for any spot in your list, detailed conditions breakdowns, and gear recommendations. Privacy Policy: https://beachable.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://beachable.app/terms

Screenshots

WaveWatch4 screens
Beachable4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: WaveWatch at none against Beachable's 1. WaveWatch also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Beachable's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 11 days). On price, ads 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. Beachable sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $24.99 per year. WaveWatch asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WaveWatch ships an update every 11 days, Beachable every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
WaveWatch versus Beachable: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWaveWatchBeachable
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdrian HumaScott Bishop

In-app purchases

None

WaveWatch

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Beachable

Subscriptions1
  • Beachable Pro Annual$24.991 Year

Questions

Is WaveWatch free?
WaveWatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Beachable free?
Beachable is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do WaveWatch or Beachable have ads?
Neither WaveWatch nor Beachable shows ads.
Which is updated more often, WaveWatch or Beachable?
WaveWatch ships an update every 11 days, and Beachable every 5 days. Most recently, WaveWatch was updated on September 29, 2026 and Beachable on September 24, 2026.

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