949 The Surf vs RIPTIDE Radio
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
949 The Surf
Stream live Carolina Beach Music, Shag, and Classic Hits from Ocean Drive. This app is your official source for industry news, events, and is the official station for the Society of Stranders and the CBMA Hall of Fame.
- Live streaming
- Carolina Beach Music
- Shag music
- Classic Hits
- Industry news
- Event listings
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Carolina Beach Music LIVE from Ocean Drive with 94.9 The Surf! Streaming all your favorite Beach Music, Shag and Classic Hits from the ocean front! The Official Station Of SOS - Society of Stranders and Carolina Beach Music Awards CBMA Hall of Fame Station! Your one source for Carolina Beach Music, Industry News and Events!
RIPTIDE Radio
This app broadcasts Carolina Beach Music, featuring new artists and songs alongside classics. Enjoy live and scheduled shows from award-winning DJs and stations. It's a dedicated stream for fans of the genre.
- Carolina Beach Music focus
- New songs and artists
- Classic tracks
- Live and scheduled shows
- Award-winning DJs
- Internet Station of the Year winner
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We are Carolina Beach Music. We place a special focus on new songs and artists that fit the Carolina Beach Music genre. Of course, we also play the standards and a little variety on some of our live and scheduled shows. Our station and DJs are consistent winners in the respective Carolina Beach Music Awards categories. We are the Internet Station of the Year for 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020!!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: RIPTIDE Radio at 5.0 against 949 The Surf's 4.5. RIPTIDE Radio also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 65%). 949 The Surf's advantage is ratings volume (110 vs 15). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
RIPTIDE Radio holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 949 The Surf has 110 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of 949 The Surf's written reviews are positive against 100% of RIPTIDE Radio's.
949 The Surf ships an update every 9 months, RIPTIDE Radio every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on August 14, 2026 and August 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | 949 The Surf | RIPTIDE Radio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (110 ratings) | 5.0 (15 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 64.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 110 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 8 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | 18.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Carolina Beach Music LLC | Riptide Internet Radio, LTD. Co. |
Customer experience
949 The Surf
RIPTIDE Radio
In-app purchases
949 The Surf
No in-app purchases
RIPTIDE Radio
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is 949 The Surf free?
Is RIPTIDE Radio free?
Which has better reviews, 949 The Surf or RIPTIDE Radio?
Do 949 The Surf or RIPTIDE Radio have ads?
Which is updated more often, 949 The Surf or RIPTIDE Radio?
Other comparisons
