# Big Buoy vs Bluewater Forecast

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bluewater Forecast at none against Big Buoy's 4. Bluewater Forecast also leads on ads (none vs shown). Big Buoy's advantage is ratings volume (21 vs 3). On price, rating, update cadence and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Big Buoy sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Bluewater Forecast asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Big Buoy against 5.0 for Bluewater Forecast. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Big Buoy has 21 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Big Buoy ships an update weekly, Bluewater Forecast every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Big Buoy | Bluewater Forecast |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-buoy/id6764127062/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluewater-forecast/id6806490652/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **21** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 47 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Relatively Salty](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895652066) | [CORY LANE BROWN](https://appshunter.io/developer/6806490654) |

## What reviewers say

### Big Buoy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-buoy/id6764127062)

Access live marine conditions, including NOAA buoy data, tide predictions, and solunar fishing times. Plan your fishing trips with wind, wave, and weather forecasts. Pro features offer advanced charting and multiple forecast models.

**Highlights:** Live NOAA buoy data, Tide predictions, Solunar fishing times, Wind and wave forecasts, Depth charting (Pro), Multiple forecast models (Pro), Saved fishing spots

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Big Buoy Pro Monthly Founding | $3.99 | per month |
| Big Buoy Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Big Buoy Pro Annual Founding | $29.99 | per year |
| Big Buoy Pro Annual | $39.99 | per year |


### Bluewater Forecast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluewater-forecast/id6806490652)

This marine weather app provides detailed forecasts for coastal areas, including wave height, wind, tides, and sea surface temperature. It offers a map-first interface with customizable layers and a one-screen dashboard for saved locations. An optional subscription unlocks advanced features like inshore topography and fishing hotspots.

**Highlights:** Map-based marine weather forecasts, Wave height, period, and direction, Wind and gusts, Tides, water levels, and currents, Radar and cloud imagery, Sea surface temperature, Saved spots with push alerts

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Big Buoy free?

Big Buoy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Bluewater Forecast free?

Bluewater Forecast is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Big Buoy or Bluewater Forecast?

Big Buoy and Bluewater Forecast are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 21 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do Big Buoy or Bluewater Forecast have ads?

Big Buoy shows ads; Bluewater Forecast does not.

### Which is updated more often, Big Buoy or Bluewater Forecast?

Big Buoy ships an update weekly, and Bluewater Forecast every 4 days. Most recently, Big Buoy was updated on November 9, 2026 and Bluewater Forecast on October 31, 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.*