Comparison

Beach Buddy App vs Rate That Beach

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

Rate That Beach

Features
Read full description

Find the best beaches anywhere in the world RateThatBeach helps you discover, explore, and rate beaches in seconds. Open the map, tap a beach, and instantly see real ratings from other travelers. No accounts. No setup. Just beaches. https://mlynarskimateusz.pl/RTB/Privacy.html https://mlynarskimateusz.pl/RTB/Terms.html

Screenshots

Beach Buddy App4 screens
Rate That Beach4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Beach Buddy App at none against Rate That Beach's shown. Beach Buddy App also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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 Rate That Beach sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Beach Buddy App ships an update every 5 days, Rate That Beach fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Beach Buddy App versus Rate That Beach: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBeach Buddy AppRate That Beach
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.416.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size95 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDawn LindsayMateusz Mlynarski

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Beach Buddy App

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

Rate That Beach

Subscriptions1
  • Beach Lover$2.991 Month

Questions

Is Beach Buddy App free?
Beach Buddy App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Rate That Beach free?
Rate That Beach is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Beach Buddy App or Rate That Beach have ads?
Rate That Beach shows ads; Beach Buddy App does not.
Which is updated more often, Beach Buddy App or Rate That Beach?
Beach Buddy App ships an update every 5 days, and Rate That Beach fortnightly. Most recently, Beach Buddy App was updated on October 17, 2026 and Rate That Beach on October 20, 2026.

Other comparisons