Comparison

Beach Buddy App vs NJ Beaches

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

NJ Beaches

Avoid crowded beaches with real-time crowd status for over 35 New Jersey beaches. Get live updates on conditions, water temperature, wave height, and more. Find your perfect beach based on current crowds and weather.

Highlights
  • Real-time crowd status (Calm, Moderate, Packed)
  • Live beach cams and user reports
  • Water temperature and wave height
  • Rip current risk and UV index
  • Hourly weather forecasts
  • Beach recommendations and favorites
  • Community crowd reporting
Features
Read full description

Skip the packed beach. NJ Beaches shows you real-time crowd levels for 35+ New Jersey beaches — before you load up the car. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO • Live crowd status for every major Jersey Shore beach: Calm, Moderate, or Packed • Confirmed by live beach cams — not guesses • Crowd reports from beachgoers who are actually on the sand • Smart estimates that factor in weather, holidays, traffic, and time of day REAL CONDITIONS, ALL IN ONE PLACE • Water temperature from NOAA buoys • Wave height and ocean conditions • Rip current risk from the National Weather Service • UV index with personalized burn-time estimates • Air quality and hourly weather forecasts • Water quality advisories FIND YOUR BEACH • Get recommendations for the best beach right now, based on conditions and crowds • Filter by county, crowd level, or live cam availability • Save favorites and check them at a glance • Directions and live cam links for every beach JOIN THE COMMUNITY • Report crowd levels in two taps — no forms • Earn points, badges, and streaks for helping fellow beachgoers • Climb the leaderboard Covering the whole Jersey Shore: Sandy Hook to Cape May — Asbury Park, Belmar, Point Pleasant, Seaside Heights, LBI, Atlantic City, Ocean City, Wildwood, Cape May, and 25+ more. Free to use. Made for the Jersey Shore.

Screenshots

Beach Buddy App4 screens
NJ Beaches3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NJ Beaches at 100% against Beach Buddy App's 0%. NJ Beaches also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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. NJ Beaches asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NJ Beaches holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Beach Buddy App's written reviews are positive against 100% of NJ Beaches's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Beach Buddy App ships an update every 5 days, NJ Beaches daily. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Beach Buddy App versus NJ Beaches: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBeach Buddy AppNJ Beaches
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings45 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size95 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDawn LindsayLuisCarlos Bustamante

Customer experience

Beach Buddy App

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

NJ Beaches

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Beach Buddy App

Subscriptions1
  • Beach Buddy Pro (Monthly)$2.991 Month
One-time1
  • Beach Buddy Vacation Pass$2.99
None

NJ Beaches

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Beach Buddy App free?
Beach Buddy App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NJ Beaches free?
NJ Beaches is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Beach Buddy App or NJ Beaches?
NJ Beaches is rated higher. Beach Buddy App averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while NJ Beaches averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Beach Buddy App or NJ Beaches have ads?
Neither Beach Buddy App nor NJ Beaches shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Beach Buddy App or NJ Beaches?
Beach Buddy App ships an update every 5 days, and NJ Beaches daily. Most recently, Beach Buddy App was updated on October 31, 2026 and NJ Beaches on November 5, 2026.

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