Comparison

Cyclone vs nextSurf

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

Head to head
About

Cyclone

Track hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones globally with real-time satellite imagery and detailed forecasts. Explore interactive maps with current weather, 10-day predictions, and sunrise/sunset times. Enjoy smooth animations and customizable playback for a comprehensive weather overview.

Highlights
  • Live satellite imagery
  • Hurricane and storm tracking
  • Interactive map exploration
  • 10-day weather forecasts
  • Customizable animation playback
  • Global weather data
Read full description

Stay informed and prepared with Cyclone, the comprehensive weather app delivering real-time insights and stunning visuals. Live Satellite Imagery Experience high-resolution cloud cover animations for North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, and parts of Russia. Powered by trusted sources like NOAA-NASA GOES, EUMETSAT, SPC, and GDAC for accurate, global weather data. Track Storms Worldwide Monitor hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones with precise projected paths and detailed forecasts. Toggle between ground station data and satellite imagery for a complete view of weather conditions. Interactive Exploration Navigate dynamic terrain, satellite, or standard maps with smooth zoom and pan functionality. Access current weather, 10-day forecasts, and sunrise/sunset times in an intuitive pop-up window. Seamless and Customizable Enjoy fast performance and fluid animations, even on low-bandwidth networks. Control animation playback and speed for a tailored experience.

About

nextSurf

Features
Read full description

► Why nextSurf… We use AI to make nextSurf your essential surf companion. Getting insights should be fast and easy — we give you clean, minimal, intelligent reports. Why you’ll love it: ► Easy navigation — Tap, swipe, and go. No clutter, no confusion. Fast, simple, with accessibility built in. ► Choose your weather provider — Pick from trusted sources like NOAA, Stormglass, or ECMWF. ► Watch ready — Check tides, swell, and wind right from your Apple Watch. ► surfIntelligence™ AI Surf Reports — The best surf insights to come to your phone or watch. We focus on what’s next: the next hour, the next day, the next swell. Everything is designed for clarity and speed — conditions at a glance, not endless scrolling. Swipe or tap to see tides, wind, and swell. Favourites left, locations right, tomorrow’s forecast — swipe up. Plan your after-work session or dawn patrol in seconds. Includes a dedicated Apple Watch app so you can check the next conditions right from your wrist — even in the water. ►► DOWNLOAD nextSurf NOW Get ahead of the crowds by knowing when and where the next surf will be. Use our leading surfIntelligence™ to deliver insights into your hands and plan your next session. The fastest app when it comes to knowing exactly what you need to know — powered by surfIntelligence™. ► The Three Essentials Every surf depends on three things: What is the swell doing? When is the next tide? How is the wind blowing? nextSurf keeps these front and centre — simple, fast, accurate. We combine them into our own AI-powered surf forecast engine to deliver surfIntelligence™ that blends local knowledge with accurate forecasts — any beach, anywhere. ► AI Surf Reports Bringing leading-edge intelligence into your hands to help you make informed decisions with surfIntelligence™. Our AI-powered surf engine rates conditions on a 5-star scale and writes human-readable summaries using location-specific data. We provide a detailed 3-day report and a 7-day outlook for improved forecast accuracy. Conditions can change quickly with extended forecasts — our focused window improves reliability and delivers higher-quality surf reports. ► Built by Surfers, for Surfers We know what you need to know when planning your next surf — whether that’s the next hour, day, or week. ► Choose Your Source Our unique app gives you more control and flexibility to pick the tide and weather provider you trust — NOAA, Stormglass, or ECMWF. ► Lightning Fast, Beautifully Simple No distractions — just clean gestures for instant info. Fully accessible with VoiceOver support. ► Free or Pro Free for essential tides. Go Pro for full forecasts and AI reports. ► Apple Watch Ready See tides, swell, and wind at a glance. Designed for clarity and speed so you can stay focused on the surf. ► Why Surfers Love nextSurf “nextSurf makes it so easy to plan.” “Clean, simple, and fast.” ► Why Switch from Big Apps Choose the weather provider you trust. Refreshingly simple navigation and glanceable info — no clutter, no endless scrolling — just tap, swipe, and go. Our surfIntelligence™ gives you leading-edge insights powered by world-class AI. ► Disclaimer nextSurf provides surf data to help you plan, but always use your own judgement and check local conditions before paddling out. All data is sourced from trusted third-party providers, but ocean and weather conditions can change rapidly. By using nextSurf, you agree that you are solely responsible for your safety and decision-making. nextSurf and its creators accept no liability for any injuries, damages, or losses resulting from ocean activities. Stay safe. Surf smart. Support & FAQ: https://rocketdata.co.nz/apps/nextSurf/next-surf-support/ EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Use: https://rocketdata.co.nz/apps/nextSurf/terms-of-use/

Screenshots

Cyclone4 screens
nextSurf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: nextSurf at none against Cyclone's shown. nextSurf also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 months). Cyclone's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, in-app purchases 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. Cyclone sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and nextSurf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cyclone ships an update every 5 months, nextSurf every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Cyclone versus nextSurf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCyclonenextSurf
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (98 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews61.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings98 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size132 MB125 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperElecont LLCRocket Data Ltd

Bugs and requests

Cyclone

Reported bugs

75 issues
  • Notifications for watch zones needed
  • Ads make quick checks impossible
  • Ads force clicks
  • Ads are too intrusive
  • Interface is poor
Show 70 more
  • Hard to read
  • Not easy to see current location
  • Limited coverage areas
  • Satellite panels do not load
  • Useless app for certain cyclones
  • No satellite reception for Australia
  • Inaccurate data
  • App appears unsupported
  • Not working
  • Waste of money
  • Clouds not shown for weeks
  • Graphics need enhancement
  • Bad cloud depiction
  • Limited to see developing lows
  • Slow updates
  • Not for Russian users
  • App is clunky
  • Only works for America
  • Paid for it, cannot restore purchase
  • Needs updates
  • Force you to click ads
  • CM is too intrusive
  • Satellite images are too rough
  • Maps are outdated
  • Poor coverage
  • Badly designed interface
  • Doesn't show cyclone near NZ
  • Not informative enough
  • Hard to read
  • Not easy to see immediately where storm is
  • Doesn't show radar for southern Gulf of Mexico
  • Doesn't cover Caribbean Sea
  • Limited to see potential developing lows
  • Not for Russian users
  • Rubbish app
  • Satellite images are too rough
  • Maps are outdated
  • Apple cannot restore purchase
  • Cyclones no longer showing up
  • App not updated for years
  • Clouds not shown for weeks
  • Satellite panels do not load
  • Only loads 1/3 of Australia
  • Fails to provide basic forecasts
  • No panels from east coast Australia to west coast US
  • No improvement over free software
  • Satellite images are too rough
  • Maps are outdated
  • Does not cover south half of Gulf and Caribbean
  • Not showing tropical cyclone Wintson (category 5)
  • No Cyclone Winston and no tracking anywhere
  • Doesn't even register Cat 5 cyclone
  • Does not show radar for southern half of Gulf of Mexico
  • Tropical storm not tracked
  • Not shown on radar, not mentioned
  • Cannot see cloud mass off coast of Australia
  • Limited to see potential developing lows
  • Cannot see cloud mass out of the coast of Australia
  • Limited to see potential developing lows
  • Not for Russian users
  • Weather not shown over Russia
  • Image cut off at Russian borders
  • Hardly works
  • No weather on Google map
  • Satellite images are too rough
  • Most cloud situation unclear
  • Maps from two hours ago
  • Hard to tell what's going on
  • Graphics need enhancement
  • No color scales for satellite interpretation

Requested features

17 requests
  • Ability to notify users of watch zones
  • More detail of the Pacific
  • Key to explain color-coded storm intensity
  • Highlight approximate storm location
  • More informative feedback on cyclone intensity (wind strength, speed)
Show 12 more
  • Strength meter with different colored icons for intensity changes
  • Live tracking like Windy
  • Sort functions for locations
  • Add storm surge and potential impact information
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard
  • Key for cyclone icon colors
  • Explain what different colors mean
  • More enhancement of cloud images
  • Color scales for satellite interpretation
  • Show cyclones before Kamchatka, not just Russian border
  • All information in Russian

nextSurf

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Cyclone

One-time1
  • Remove Ads & Limits$1.99
2 purchases

nextSurf

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Pro Annual7 Days trial$22.991 Year

Questions

Is Cyclone free?
Cyclone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is nextSurf free?
nextSurf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cyclone or nextSurf have ads?
Cyclone shows ads; nextSurf does not.
Which is updated more often, Cyclone or nextSurf?
Cyclone ships an update every 5 months, and nextSurf every 9 days. Most recently, Cyclone was updated on October 29, 2026 and nextSurf on October 3, 2026.

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