Comparison

Beach Buddy App vs BeachLens

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

Head to head
About

Beach Buddy App

Discover the best beaches with real-time information on surf, tides, weather, and marine hazards. Get alerts for shark activity and rip currents to ensure a safe and enjoyable day by the ocean.

Highlights
  • Global shark and marine activity map
  • Beach discovery and condition comparison
  • Real-time hazard alerts (sharks, rip currents)
  • Integrated surf, tide, and weather data
  • Beach flag and official advisory information
  • Live beach and ocean camera feeds
  • Community reporting for sightings
Features
Read full description

Beach Buddy App Store Description Beach Buddy helps you find the right beach, understand current conditions, and know what matters before you go. Search beaches around the world, explore amenities and local rules, check weather, surf and tides, view marine hazards and beach flags, learn about marine life you may encounter, and get location-aware conservation guidance. Whether you’re visiting a nearby shoreline or traveling somewhere new, Beach Buddy brings beach planning, marine awareness, safety information, and local guidance together in one place. KEY FEATURES FIND THE RIGHT BEACH • Search beaches around the world • Explore amenities, local services, rules, and access information • Compare conditions before deciding where to go • Use the Marine Assistant to find beaches based on needs such as dog-friendly, family-friendly, easy access, and less crowded options MARINE LIFE WATCH • Learn about marine life you may encounter in the area • See location- and season-aware information for rays, jellyfish, sharks, reef life, marine mammals, and other wildlife • Learn when certain animals may be more common • Get practical guidance on what to do if you encounter them • Review useful beach habits such as the stingray shuffle PROTECT THIS BEACH • Get conservation guidance relevant to your location • Learn about nesting seasons, wildlife, and sensitive habitats • See practical ways to protect sea turtles, shorebirds, nesting areas, and other coastal wildlife MARINE HAZARDS & CONDITIONS • View marine hazard warnings where available • Check shark activity, rip-current risk, storms, and other reported hazards • Review beach flags and official advisories when supported SURF, TIDES & WEATHER • Check weather and wind • View surf, wave, swell, and ocean information • Review tides and water conditions • Prepare for beach, surf, fishing, and boating activities EXPLORE & BOOK • Discover nearby restaurants, attractions, activities, hotels, and vacation rentals • View participating marketplace listings and Booking Benefits where available CAMERAS — PRO OR VACATION PASS • View available beach, coastline, underwater, and drone cameras • Check visible conditions before leaving home COMMUNITY REPORTING • Submit shark sightings and marine hazard reports • Help improve awareness for other beachgoers MARINE SAFETY GUIDE • Learn about rip currents • Understand conditions associated with increased shark activity • Review practical ocean-safety guidance BEACH BUDDY PRO Beach Buddy Pro helps monitor the beaches you care about. Pro features include: • Personalized marine condition and hazard monitoring • Push notifications on supported phones and connected smartwatches • Unlimited favorite beaches • Global Shark Map and expanded shark activity tools • Beach, underwater, and drone camera access where available • Ad-free experience A Pro purchase also helps support continued development, research, data monitoring, and operating costs. Vacation Pass provides 30 days of premium features with a one-time purchase and no auto-renewal. Some features, cameras, advisories, wildlife guidance, data sources, and alerts depend on location and availability. Beach Buddy Pro requires a paid subscription. MARINE AWARENESS & CONSERVATION Beach Buddy promotes informed, responsible ocean use without demonizing sharks or other marine wildlife. Better awareness helps beachgoers make better decisions while respecting the animals and habitats that make each coastline unique. Beach and ocean information is often scattered across multiple apps, agencies, and websites. Beach Buddy brings it together in one place. Find your beach. Know what to expect. Protect what lives there. Know before you go. Privacy Policy https://beachbuddy.shop/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

BeachLens

Get real-time updates on beach conditions, weather, water quality, and safety before you visit. Plan your perfect beach day with detailed information on amenities, parking, and local insights. Share your own reports from the shoreline to help other beachgoers.

Highlights
  • Real-time beach weather forecasts
  • Water quality and red tide updates
  • Wave height and rip current risk
  • Beach amenities and parking info
  • Community-sourced shoreline reports
  • Beach ratings and reviews
Features
Read full description

BeachLens is the go-to beach app for checking real-time beach conditions, weather, water quality, beach safety, and local beach information before you go. Whether you're planning a family beach day, surfing, swimming, fishing, shelling, boating, or simply exploring Florida's coastline, BeachLens helps you make smarter decisions with live beach intelligence. Stop guessing. Know before you go. REAL-TIME BEACH CONDITIONS Get live updates for beaches across Florida, including: • Beach weather forecasts • Water temperature • Wave height and conditions • Wind speed • UV index • Tide information • Rip current risk • Red tide updates • Water quality • Beach flag conditions (rip current risk) BEACH PLANNING TOOLS Find the best beach for your day based on the conditions you care about. • Beach maps • Beach amenities • Parking information • Restrooms and facilities • Lifeguard information COMMUNITY REPORTS BeachLens includes a Waze-style reporting system where beachgoers can share real-time updates from the shoreline. See reports about: • Water clarity • Crowd levels • Marine life sightings • Beach hazards • Parking availability BEACH REVIEWS & DISCOVERY Discover new beaches and learn from other beachgoers. • Beach ratings • Reviews • Photos • Local insights BUILT FOR FLORIDA BEACHES BeachLens combines NOAA data, environmental monitoring systems, community reports, and local beach information into one easy-to-use platform. Whether you're a local resident, tourist, surfer, fisherman, beach lover, or family planning your next coastal adventure, BeachLens helps you find better beaches, stay safer, and enjoy more time by the water. Download BeachLens today and discover why thousands of beachgoers use it to check beach weather, beach conditions, water quality, surf reports, red tide updates, rip current forecasts, and real-time beach information across Florida. Know Before You Go. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Beach Buddy App4 screens
BeachLens4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BeachLens at 96% against Beach Buddy App's 0%. BeachLens also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (94 vs 4). Beach Buddy App's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, update cadence, 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. Beach Buddy App sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and BeachLens sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BeachLens holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BeachLens has 94 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Beach Buddy App's written reviews are positive against 96% of BeachLens's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Beach Buddy App ships an update every 5 days, BeachLens weekly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Beach Buddy App versus BeachLens: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBeach Buddy AppBeachLens
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)4.8 (94 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews95.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings494 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterWeekly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.416.4
Further details — not scored
Size95 MB110 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDawn LindsayALAREX LLC

Customer experience

Beach Buddy App

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

BeachLens

All ratings94 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive95.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.2%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Beach Buddy App

Subscriptions1
  • Beach Buddy Pro (Monthly)$2.991 Month
One-time1
  • Beach Buddy Vacation Pass$2.99
3 purchases

BeachLens

Subscriptions2
  • LENS+ Monthly$0.991 Month
  • LENS+ Yearly$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Beach Buddy App free?
Beach Buddy App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BeachLens free?
BeachLens is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Beach Buddy App or BeachLens?
BeachLens is rated higher. Beach Buddy App averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while BeachLens averages 4.8 from 94 ratings.
Do Beach Buddy App or BeachLens have ads?
BeachLens shows ads; Beach Buddy App does not.
Which is updated more often, Beach Buddy App or BeachLens?
Beach Buddy App ships an update every 5 days, and BeachLens weekly. Most recently, Beach Buddy App was updated on October 31, 2026 and BeachLens on October 31, 2026.

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