# Ocean Pulse vs XAKA | Surf Forecast

The clearest difference is update cadence: XAKA | Surf Forecast at every 5 days against Ocean Pulse's every 4 months. Ocean Pulse's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Ocean Pulse ships an update every 4 months, XAKA | Surf Forecast every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ocean Pulse | XAKA | Surf Forecast |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocean-pulse/id6759033100/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 22 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sean O'Brien](https://appshunter.io/developer/1876459716) | [XAKA LABS](https://appshunter.io/developer/6789045052) |

## What reviewers say

### Ocean Pulse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocean-pulse/id6759033100)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### XAKA | Surf Forecast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xaka-surf-forecast/id6789045050)

Get personalized surf session recommendations based on your skill level and preferred conditions. Discover nearby surf spots, compare wave, wind, and tide data, and find the best time to hit the water. Plan less and surf more with this community-powered forecast tool.

**Highlights:** Personalized session recommendations, Find surf spots near any location, Filter by surf level, Compare wave, wind, and tide conditions, Check best time to surf, Explore recommendations on a map, Community-powered feedback

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ocean Pulse free?

Ocean Pulse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is XAKA | Surf Forecast free?

XAKA | Surf Forecast is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Ocean Pulse or XAKA | Surf Forecast have ads?

Neither Ocean Pulse nor XAKA | Surf Forecast shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ocean Pulse or XAKA | Surf Forecast?

Ocean Pulse ships an update every 4 months, and XAKA | Surf Forecast every 5 days. Most recently, Ocean Pulse was updated on October 23, 2026 and XAKA | Surf Forecast on October 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*