Comparison

Ocean Pulse vs SeaState

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

Head to head
About

Ocean Pulse

Visualize real-time NOAA buoy data as a dynamic, glowing map. Understand ocean conditions like swell direction, wave period, and height through intuitive visual cues rather than numbers. Access detailed conditions for over 170 buoys across various ocean regions.

Highlights
  • Real-time NOAA buoy data visualization
  • Color-coded swell direction
  • Pulse speed indicates wave period
  • Brightness shows wave height
  • Detailed buoy condition reports
  • Save favorite buoys
  • Search buoys by name, ID, or region
Features
Read full description

Ocean Pulse — a different way to check the surf. Ocean Pulse transforms real-time NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) buoy data into a living, glowing map. Each buoy pulses with light — color shows swell direction, pulse speed matches wave period, and brightness reveals wave height.  At a glance, you understand the ocean's current state without reading a single number, just like checking the surf from the shore. Featuring 170+ buoys from Alaska to the Caribbean, Ocean Pulse covers the Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Hawaii. Tap any buoy for detailed conditions including wave height, period, direction, and water temperature. Save your favorite buoys for quick access. Search by name, ID, or region. Explore the color compass to learn the visual language of the ocean. Want to know one of my favorite ways to experience Ocean Pulse?...I love to dock it on my desk charger in landscape mode, with the whole beautiful ocean is always right there alive next to me! Ocean Pulse is the digital companion to my physical Ocean Pulse light sculptures — real-time ocean data, transformed into art (more about Ocean Pulse sculptures at www.seanobriendesigns.com). Ocean Pulse Origins I designed and built my first Ocean Pulse sculpture in 2011 after moving from the coast of California — where I could walk to check the surf every day — to Berlin, Germany, where the ocean was hundreds of miles away. I was always checking Surfline trying to stay connected, but I hated going online every time just to maintain my connection to the surf. I wanted to somehow have the "pulse" of the ocean in my living environment, always with me. I was craving the surf check ritual, coffee in hand, no matter where I lived in the world. With no coding skills, my brother and my dad helped write the code for the first sculpture — LED lights that visualize wave period, direction, and height in real time. A close friend helped me refine it. Today, Ocean Pulse sculptures live in many homes, keeping ocean-minded souls connected to the rhythms of the sea. With the advent of AI and my unrelenting curiosity about it, I was finally able to create this app — something I had wanted to build for a long time. While I love the Ocean Pulse sculptures and think everyone should have one in their homes, I know they're expensive. This app is my way of making the thing I love available to many more ocean-minded souls for the price of a cup of coffee. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope to refine it over time to make it even better for you.  This is truly a labor of love. Share a review and tell me what you think!

About

SeaState

This marine weather app provides detailed forecasts for oceans worldwide, including swell height, wind, tides, and currents. It features a unique side-by-side comparison of conditions at two locations and an AI-powered briefing for go/no-go decisions.

Highlights
  • Worldwide marine weather forecasts
  • Side-by-side condition comparison
  • 24-hour wave height graphs
  • Redesigned wind page with compass rose
  • AI Captain's Brief for go/no-go advice
  • Passage planning with ETA
  • Safety Hub with emergency contacts and float plans
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

No guessing games, no scrolling through ten weather apps. Swipe the 7-day outlook for peak wind and wave height at a glance, then drill into hourly wind a full week out with gusts, true direction and Beaufort scale. The official NWS marine zone forecast comes straight from the source, written in plain English, free for every user. No subscription wall between you and the forecast that actually matters. See the whole picture on the chart. Toggle official NOAA ENC charts over Apple Maps for depth soundings, buoys and hazards at three detail levels, cached for when you lose signal offshore. Animated wind and current particle layers show you what's actually moving out there. Drag the time scrubber through the next 48 hours and watch conditions shift before you leave the dock. Tide stations are now plotted right on the chart. Tap any station for a 24-hour tide curve with the next high and low, so you can time the cut or the flat right. Have an AIS receiver aboard? Connect your boat's NMEA Wi-Fi gateway to see live depth, wind, water temperature and nearby vessel traffic on the chart, working offshore with no cell signal. Dropping the hook? Anchor Watch guards your position with a drag alarm and two-fix false-alarm protection, backed by Live Activity, Dynamic Island and Apple Watch alerts. Sleep easier. For the fishing crowd, sea surface temperature and current layers help you find the edges and breaks where fish stack up. SeaState is built for offshore anglers, cruisers, sailors, surfers and captains who want a straight answer, not a maybe. Download it and know before you go. SEASTATE PRO Unlock the full experience with SeaState Pro, available as monthly ($4.99) or yearly ($39.99) auto-renewing subscriptions, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSY_MSMhZzNRZdRyUTLIYg2dysB6Yoo6szTZNGo12tEjolM4JxnRZflKeW21fHNcxzNn92tfcueboMY/pub

Screenshots

Ocean Pulse4 screens
SeaState4 screens

Verdict

The call

Ocean Pulse and SeaState both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Ocean Pulse's written reviews are positive against 50% of SeaState's. Ocean Pulse also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). SeaState's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and chart position (#198 vs unranked). On price, rating, 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. SeaState sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Ocean Pulse asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Ocean Pulse against 5.0 for SeaState. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Ocean Pulse's written reviews are positive against 50% of SeaState's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ocean Pulse ships an update every 4 months, SeaState every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Ocean Pulse versus SeaState: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOcean PulseSeaState
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings13 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
Best chart rank—#198 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSean O'BrienTom Curry

Customer experience

Ocean Pulse

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

SeaState

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Ocean Pulse

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

SeaState

Subscriptions2
  • SeaState Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • SeaState Pro Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • SeaState Pro Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is Ocean Pulse free?
Ocean Pulse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SeaState free?
SeaState is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ocean Pulse or SeaState?
Ocean Pulse and SeaState are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do Ocean Pulse or SeaState have ads?
Neither Ocean Pulse nor SeaState shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ocean Pulse or SeaState?
Ocean Pulse ships an update every 4 months, and SeaState every 2 weeks. Most recently, Ocean Pulse was updated on October 31, 2026 and SeaState on November 9, 2026.

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